Countdown...4...

Fun is good
Dr. Seuss

With 4 days, left in the countdown there will be a readjustment to my training for Chicago. Fun. Go out and run and enjoy running. Fun. Think of each run as not that I have to do it, but think about it as I “get” to do it.

We do the things we do outside the normal structure of our lives to survive because we like to do it. No one is telling us to train for an event. If we do not train we will not be out on the streets homeless. If we do not push ourselves to our greatest potentials because we “have” to, we do it because we “want” to.

Fun. We all say, “when it is not fun anymore, I will stop”. But do you say, "man, that ride in 95 degree heat was fun?" Maybe you should…

The last couple of days I have been trying to get my running mojo back. It is still dormant at this stage. But, you know what? Who cares? I will manage the pain as I always have since I picked up endurance sports. Pain is part of it and if I cannot handle the pain, then it is time to be miserable.

Miserable to me is being sedimentary. Eating, going to work, eating, going home, eating, watching T.V., going to bed, start the same day over the next day. Now that is real pain.

I saw a colleague in the hall yesterday. He was on crutches. Of course, I had to ask, “What the heck happened?” A little background on him first. He played running back in college, was a Nationally ranked Track & Field Sprinter, is currently on the Atlanta Track & Field Team and places top 5 in the country in the 100 meters and 200 meters events. He is fast.

His reply to me was, “Softball”. He was rounding first heading to second and twisted his ankle in a hole! The interesting thing is he has chronic ankle problems and arthritis. Now, if he did not have these issues and was not wearing his brace that day he would of snapped his ankle in two. Sounds like someone else I know that had a “Softball” mishap…

We started talking about all of our injuries: bum ankle, Achilles’ issues, Sciatica, pulled hamstring. When we were done, I asked him, “Are you going to give Track and Field up now?” His quick response back (which I knew what it was going to be) was, “Never”. “The day I stop is the day they carry me off the field in a body bag”. “If it was not for what I do, life would not be as fun”, He quoted to me.

We were bred from the same mold. As are most: my wife, friends and family were forged from.

His lost due to the injury is my gain. He gave me two Peachtree Numbers for the 10K on the 4th. Not seeded well (he is a sprinter not a runner), but I invited Todd to run with me, so we are going out and run it and have...

Fun. Fun was riding last night on the Reality Ride last night while the temperatures hit 95+ degrees. I rode with Sarah and Lou, along with 30+ other riders here and there. It was hot, humid, buggy, huge lightening strikes in the background and it poured on us the last quarter mile of the ride. I had equipped Sarah's road bike with aero bars and a new seat post. As usual she left me in the dust as every week she gets stronger and stronger. Would I have rather stayed home and watched re-runs than to spend time with the oppressive weather with Sarah and Lou?

Do I need to answer that?

This morning at 4:30AM was a run date. I woke at 4AM after getting home at 8PM with Sarah. We ate a late dinner, I made my bag of food for breakfast, lunch and snacks for today, showered, got my work clothes ironed and packed the gym bag before climbing into bed at 10PM.

I met Ann Marie at LTF for a, so-called, recovery run. 45 minutes at 8:30 pace. I was tired, sore from the ride and stiff in the ankles. The run started out slow with us both shuffling along from the ride last night (AM rode at 5PM with Amy and Ken). After the first couple minutes the pace smoothed out or should I say, “picked up”.

During the run we talked about stuff in our lives, training, people, AM’s vacation, etc…which made the time go by a lot quicker. Running alone does have its upsides and downsides, but this morning at 4:30AM getting to run with a friend who you respect as an athlete and a person, was fun.

As I write, the emails are flying between Bob, Lou, Jeff and me. We are planning a 5K Race in October based on our two passions: Running and Beer. Yes, October. The same month as Chicago, but not on the same day. Why you asked? “Why when you are training for a marathon, have jobs, family and other responsibilities?” Why? Well, because we can…More to come on the race.