Need Change?

Yes please!

In the hopes of getting myself out of what is becoming a bit of a prolonged running funk, I decided to join a training group and actually get serious about finding direction. While I've been mulling over possibilites for some time, this was spurred
on more quickly by several things; one of which was the fact that little while ago post-Mt.Sac I was running a particular loop for the umpteen-millionth time and the dawned on me that I had run it umpteen million times, at the same pace, at the same time of day. Afterward, while standing in the ice tub I was looking through my running log (yes I have one. Yes I'm that nerdy) and flipped back to....oh say, this time two years ago and realized that yes, I was doing the exact. Same. Thing. For some strange reason I was oddly depressed by these revelations. But at the same time it was a smack in the face because realistically, if you change nothing then nothing changes. I always liked to envision myself as having made some sort of progress with something, but the writing's on the wall. In any case, evidently I find it difficult to deviate from a comfortable routine, because I've been in the same routine for like, 8 years now. All this is to say, s**t or get off the pot, do it or don't, but stop dilly-dallying around because soon you'll be old and decrepid or you'll have 10.5 kids and a 9 to 5 and it will be too late to do this stuff and you'll always wonder...

So in light of this, I thought maybe a change in routine, approach, surroundings, peer-group, mind-set, and mentality may be just the stimulus needed to make me pull my head out, get my ish together, and maybe get out of the part-physical/part-mental (I won't deny it) slump I got myself into. So I decided to start training a bit with the Boulder Express group in Boulder (obviously) that Lee Troop coaches. It seemed like a terriffic opportunity with great people to run with, and how often do you get to have a multiple-time Olympian tell you what to do? This was kind of a big step since I'm terrified of change if it involves risk of any kind, however insignificant in the big picture. I'm a pansy like that. While the fact that they are over 100 miles away prevents running with them everyday, I'm able to train with them on occasion for now. Baby steps.

My initiation into their long runs last week included getting lost somewhere on a nice hilly 14 mile loop in Boulder, inadvertantly tacking on a few more miles, and learning that it is apparently important to at least look the maps that Lee emails out to everyone several days in advance of the runs. Or better yet, memorize them. But there are worse places to get lost and there's nothing wrong with a prolonged long run even if it did kick my ass that day. Furthermore I got to see some fantastic trail routes and I will say that it was very different actually having women around to run (and keep up) with. But they are a blast and it was a terriffic (although slightly unintentional) 2 hour and 15 minute long run on a beautiful day. Hopefully a step in the right direction!