It seems to me that I once posted a blog entitled "... Time Flies ..." I would be hard-pressed to argue that point, given that it's been roughly 18 months since my last post here. When I logged into "Blogger" this evening, I was actually just a wee bit surprised to discover that my blog still exists! In any event, I have returned (with little or no fanfare!) and I am "planning" (emphasis on "planning") to make much more regular entries here.
The fact is that in the last year or so, my running routine has (mostly) ceased to even resemble a "routine" and has in fact become the exception now instead of the rule. Admittedly, I had a very successful training and racing year in 2008 and the early part of 2009. Over the course of 2008, I set PR's at 5K, 8K, and 10K, along with personal bests at both the half and full marathon distance. I even ran my first (possibly my only) 50 K Ultra-Marathon event in May 2009. I ran a respectable time against a fairly seasoned field, and still pulled off a third place overall. Not too shabby, right? Well, from a "results-only" perspective, I can't complain! However, I have learned that training at that level, for that length of time can wreak havoc on many aspects of one's life.
Last year's 50K took place on May 2nd ... I was probably at my peak of endurance and personal fitness (ever!) on the morning of that race. I had planned on some serious recovery time, and had no immediate plans for my next race. A few days after the event, I got an e-mail from David Milne of Peninsula Runners, inviting me to the Oak Bay 'Kool' Half Marathon on May 24th. Instead of politely declining, I (very foolishly!) accepted the invite, and toed the start line for the race, having had a mere 22 days to recover from the 50K!! Needless to say, I did NOT run a PR that day. Although I didn't injure myself (dumb luck as opposed to planning!!), I did something far worse ... I pretty much burned myself out. It's been over a year since that event, and I gotta tell ya - I don't feel like I've ever really recovered. I still managed to race a full marathon last fall - I ran my "next-to-slowest" finish time (3:21) - frankly speaking, I think I ran the event simply because I couldn't get a refund on my entry fee. I knew going into the event that I wasn't completely prepared.
I have discovered that endurance training can be habit-forming ... Toward the end of 2008, and leading up to the Ultra Event in May '09, I think I became (somewhat) obsessed with running. My priorities shifted, subtly at first, then more obviously, so that running became more important to me than work, or sleep, or even my relationship with my wife. My waking hours were filled with training, planning my next run, or pouring over the results of my most recent outing. At one time, I was maintaining 3 different training logs, along with this blog, and I began to neglect my personal relationships. I had heard from many sources that running could be habit-forming ... I never expected that it would take over my life in the way that it did. By the time I got to the start line of the Ultra, running had become the most important aspect of my daily life. Fortunately for me, I have a very patient and devoted spouse. Michelle has always been my biggest fan, and greatest supporter. (In 2004 when I first started training, she used to follow me around in her car, for fear I would pass out!) In hindsight, I can see the evolution of my running addiction. Michelle stood by me throughout, and for her faithfulness, I will be forever grateful. Thank you Michelle.
In August of last year, my youngest daughter, Tanisha, moved in with me. Prior to her arrival in my house just 2 days after her 13th birthday, we had never lived together before. Needless to say, a period of adjustment ensued ... is still ensuing ... will continue to ensue ... I'm sure you get the point. In all seriousness, I am thrilled to have my daughter living with me. I would like to keep running, no question of that ... Tanisha has helped me realize that family comes first. I'm still working on balancing family and personal needs - like the rest of my life, consider it a work in progress. Thank you, Tanisha, for teaching Dad a lesson (or two!)
I haven't raced anything since the RVM last fall. I can't even say that I have really trained effectively over that same time period either. There are a myriad of reasons why I'm not training at the same level. These days, I can't seem to find either the time or the motivation to strap on the shoes and head out the door. I am working split shifts now, and my workday starts before 7 AM, 4 out of 5 days of the week. For years, my daily routine consisted of rolling out of bed, having a coffee and light breakfast, then heading out for a run. I have yet to figure out a running routine that fits into working the split shift. More importantly, I seem to have lost my mental "edge" ... I feel perpetually burnt out. In 2008, I woke up every morning, just dying to get out there ... these days, I can't seem to string together more than one or two runs a week, and even those runs feel "forced" - almost like "I'm gonna go running now cuz I have to" ... where did my Joy of Running go? With any luck, Dear Reader, we'll find it somewhere in the days and weeks to come. I sincerely hope that by re-visiting my Blog, I will recapture some of the motivation and joy that I felt a couple of years ago. Assuming that someone other that Michelle and Tanisha will read this, I'd love to hear any suggestions you have. Please post them as comments! Thank you for reading - this was a long one ... Goodnite all :-)
