Sunday Morning Running

I rarely speak about religion and politics mainly because I am ignorant to many of the topics and secondly because most of the times my views are different than the majority.  I'm certainly not a conservative by any means nor do I float in left field liberalism, in fact I bounce around.  This brings me to my Sunday morning runs. 

You won't find me sitting beside you in a pew on a Sunday morning but you may pass me on the way to church running alongside a road or trail.  To me running is my form of spiritual enrichment, maybe not so when I am at the gym pounding a treadmill, but certainly in the woods or on a quiet back road.  When spent alone it's a time to let my mind wander and when with company it's time for open conversation.  In fact what I have learned during my countless hours of running is not to judge.  What I do is not for everyone and likewise...perhaps I am as one of my co-workers labeled me one of those "everyone loves everyone people".  I often wonder how many people sit in place of worship anxiously waiting to leave while I wish my two hour run didn't have to end.  And then as I finish a Sunday morning run along my town boardwalk and see strangers and neighbors sitting alone on benches watching the sunrise or listening to the crashing waves I know that these people "get it" to...in my own opinion it's not where you worship or find peace it's that you do it in an environment that is perfect for you.

Bloggity blog

Well it's taken nearly a month to report in, post, blog, or whatever you choose to call it...but I will say that the New Year has started out great.  I have a tentative schedule planned:

March 3 - Seneca Creek 50k
March 17 - National Rock n Roll Marathon
April 14 - Bull Run 50 Miler
June 21? - A 25 mile night race in VA(can't recall the name)

Of course there will be hundreds of miles of training in between and I should probably find another 50 miler to throw in the mix but I have hopes that these few races will help prepare me for 100 miles of stumbling and bumbling.  I have been able to get long weekends in every other week and plan on running back to backs with my longer of the two runs being 20 miles.  All in all my body feels great so far, but ask me after May when I have logged many more miles.

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind."
--Napoleon Hill

In my opinion endurance running is 90% mental.  You have to find a way to will yourself, mentally prepare for the distance or course, and tuck away the pain.  I can only hope that I am as mentally solid in July as I am now, I feel like a rock.

But just as my training and mental game are strong there is room for improvement.  My diet needs work and I have to find a way to cut at least half of the coffee out of my normal day.  And with the needed caffeine reduction I need to focus on a little more sleep.  This "6" has a long way to go...

This post wasn't full of insight or intellect but more of a "this is where I am now"....and believe me it couldn't be any better.