Two Runs

Four years to the day that my dad died. I take part of this day off every year. This year was a perfectly sunny day, a day for the trails, for solitude. After lunch at the Indian place, it was seven miles on the Rock Island, where we used to ride bikes, from Alta to Dunlap and back. This linear railbed trail changes every time I go out there, subdivisions pop and mutate, fields give way to progress. Still, it is peaceful when you hit the Kickapoo Creek bridge.

It is raining. Been raining all night. Torrential spring rains followed by lulls. A good day for a trail run at Farmdale. When I get to the parking lot it is a downpour. Fifteen minutes later it is less of a downpour. Good time to start. It is muddy, but not overly so, just in the low spots.

At the end of alt. Creekside it opens up, and I mean but good. Full on thunderstorm. Rain, lightning, wind, the whole nine. The trail is a creek, literally, running through 6 inches of running water, lightning flashing overhead. I wish I could say this was some sort of enlightening moment, but it wasn't. Just an ill-advised run in a storm by a junkie looking for his trail fix at any cost.

Planting Time

I give you good seed to plant in your field
And I help you to plow it
If you still can't make it grow
Then you don't know how to farm it

My seed is strong and bountiful
To yield a crop so beautiful
So if you will be dutiful
Then we both shall eat in plenty

But if you do not listen to me
And you treat the field impatiently
And do not mind it carefully
Thinking only of what you will reap
Then the crop will drop and fail

So with my good seed to plant in your field
And plenty help to plow it
I know that we gonna make it grow
To bear sweet fruits and flowers

And this crop won't drop and fail
We'll write the ending to this tale
This crop won't drop and fail

-"Crop no Drop" Stubborn All-Stars

Man, May is just a beautiful time in the Midwest. What's better than after a long, sometimes tough winter, to go out cruising for a nice 6 miler in a perfect 65 degree non-humid night? Not much. I'm just really loving running right now. Nothing long yet, mind you, but usually between 4 and 8 miles on roads, just the streets around town, sometimes out into the countryside. I feel largely recovered from McNaughton, pretty much able to do what I want and just have fun. Not that 50 mile training isn't fun--it is, but you know, no ice is sometimes preferable.

I don't have any current goals. Was going to run the Steamboat 15k for fun, but that might be out now due to attending a basketball camp with Keegan. Maybe the Bix in July? Haven't done that one, and by all accounts, it is nice. Part of me wishes I was doing Berryman again this year, such an amazing trail, but realistically I don't want to go out and push distance. So, no concrete plans for now. I'd like to do a fall marathon or 50k--maybe Moose Mountain this year, maybe something else.

I'd like to get out this weekend to do a 3 or 4 hour trail run, just to test things out, so plans may end up waiting for 3 or 4 of those runs to get completed. For me right now is time to engage with the hope and promise of planting time, reaping the rewards rather than sowing in anticipation.

On my Ipod. Lots of stuff. I'm digging doing the shorter runs with music. Westbound Train, Aggrolites, Tilt "Til' it kills," a really cool Stubborn All-stars/Marley/King Django mix playlist. Two frickin outstanding emo albums from the 90's: Christie Front Drive self-titled and Chamberlain's "The Moon my Saddle." CFD is just incredible, this cd sat in my collection for a long time and I've only recently gained a true appreciation for how great that band was. Funny how that works sometimes.

Recovery

The desire to run returned late last week. Resulting recovery runs have been short and slow. I feel much better both physically in terms of aches and pains psychology in terms of weariness and motivation.

I've decided to not really plan any races until I get back out on long runs to test the legs and ferret out any residual effects of the 50. So far, so good. There are times when it's good just to run for the pure joy of it, without a target goal. I personally find this much easier to do in the spring, when the temps are perfect, the world blooms, and it's difficult NOT to find a reason to get out and run.

Today's morning 4 1/2 miler was beautiful, radiant sunshine and 63 degrees, actually running in short sleeves with no discomfort is a wonderful sensation.

Oh, I got me an Ipod for my birthday. Loving it so far. I'm not one who normally runs with music, and I won't on trail runs, but for 5 or 7 or 9 miles road runs, it's perfect. So it's with that we come to requisite "what's on my Ipod for running" list. The masses tune in for these gems...or not.

What's Currently On My Ipod For Running List (note everything in caps to feign significance):

Frontier Trust "Speed Nebraska" most of the this amazing album, save two tracks I don't care for.

Lungfish tracks from "Unanimous Hour" and "Artificial Horizon"

Podcast from Trails and Tribulations. The Tim Twietmyer interview awaits. Check it out:

http://www.trailsandtribulations.com/

McNaughton Park 2008

50 Mile version for me this year. A short report.

Training:

Bottom line is that I trained better by my humble standards, and that means that I built a good base of 3-4 hour runs through the fall then transitioned into 4-6 1/2 hour runs on the actual course building to the race. Long runs were every other week. I also increased my distance during the week to 5-8 miles per run for the most part.

The only thing I really skimped on was speedwork. In all honesty, this was a tough winter to train through and I just didn't feel like repeats or much up-tempo stuff, other than the occasional fartlek session during a mid-week run.

Weight is an issue. I kept my weight fairly low, again by my standards, but eating in a more balanced fashion. My tendency is to eat very little to no beef, mostly chicken for protein, but I did up protein intake a bit and mixed in lots of greens and fruits.

The Race. It rained most of the week. This was a cause of concern and nervousness. I felt tapered and focused going into Saturday, ready for whatever conditions. Conditions turned out to be muddy and mucky, but as always , we tend to worry ourselves over things that turn out to never be as bad we envision. Mud is not impassable.

The first 43 miles or so were run with Adam Zimmermann and Stan Zygmut, both of whom are tough hombres. Having these guys to jaw with made the time and miles tick by. Tapp joined us for the fifth loop and ended up pacing Adam in hard for the last few miles.

Me, I crossed in 13 hours 15 minutes. Time is just time, the significance for me is just completing the distance, and that is accomplished. Got that 50 mile buckle.

So, McN is a great race with tremendous organization, volunteers, and the one of the best courses in the Midwest. Another great day on the trails.

100 next year?

A Strange Sort of Prayer

Running can be construed as a selfish activity. Solitary, a diversion, an escape from other activities..."real" activities, things constructive.

Running can be construed, and I think often is, an act of egoism--competition, an absorption with times, gear, splits. Those things alone aren't negative, but for me the real appeal of running comes during the long run. When it's right, running long to me is a form of prayer, a chance to offer up, maybe to connect if things are clicking.

A strange sort of prayer, maybe, but a prayer nonetheless.