I don't have an exhaustive music library, nor an interesting one, but it does invoke certain memories of my past from junior high to college and beyond. I can remember running to a particular song in the past and my inner child smiles large. I think that's what running does for me, it touches my inner child. Whether bounding down a mountain side at break neck speed bouncing from boulder to boulder or hitting the high school track for a workout, my inner child has come out to play.
I have thought a lot about races this year and training for that matter, but nothing has really stuck. I've had a lot of discussions with Annie about what it all really means to me. I've been trying to distill the essence and capture the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of running for me: letting my inner child out to play. He is elusive and rarely comes out and I want him to more often in non-running scenarios to share his joy, enthusiasm, zest for life with others around him outside of epic runs.
It's no secret I love the epic runs. I am transitioning my state of being to reflect differently on what that means in two ways. The first is that nature, mountain passes, and mountain peaks are my journey; no matter the speed or whether I have a race number on or not. This summer we will find those adventures.
The second is that I have an undeniable desire to hit a certain feeling of exhaustion and accomplishment. That magic zone seemed in the past to hover around 4 hours of running the mountains and plains around Boulder, but I've since found a way to shorten the time spent on my feet and encounter the same level of near joyful hallucination, which is excellent with all things considered.
All of this has become more meaningful to me after the Boston Marathon bombing. Many friends are working towards qualifying for 2014, running for unity and support of our collective passion, people, and for those that lost their lives or were forever marred by the craziness that is our world around us and across the globe.
These recent events and possibilities have been the motivation I've sought. A few weeks ago I decided to qualify for an early wave in the BolderBoulder 10k and start working on speed again. It's been an exhilarating, yet humbling experience to hit the track after 2 years. I've been jetting back and forth from Colorado to California for work and running on the Fairview H.S. track (above) and the Burligame H.S. track (below). Interestingly, these workouts have seemed to help with some of the injury related issues I've had resurfacing and I am all for that, of course.
For me, track practice is all about preparation, mental and physical. If neither or one is not present, I suffer. I learned early on that I need 20-25 minutes of warming up, stretching, and finding a mental focus. Once complete, the inner child roars with exuberance as I toe the line and accelerate for the interval. As I hit the first turn the breathing becomes labored, shortened, muscle fibers strain and I find my stride. I hurt, I hurt all over, the entire time...but it feels good oddly enough. My chest heaves with empty air to suck whatever oxygen it can into my ailing muscles. For me the two best intervals are the first and the last. When complete, I kick off my shoes and socks, bare foot I traipse around the inner field on the turf and feel weightless and carefree, yes, the inner child is at peace again.
Will I run, will I run all day, will I run no matter what...always.
