Insanely Sane

There are people, believe it or not, that say running 31 miles is insane.  Of course, there are people who say that running down to the corner is insane as well!  I am writing to dispel the myth that running 31 miles is insane.  On January 5, 2013, we arose at 4 AM (now that is insane!) to get to Winston-Salem by 6:30.  We are Shawn, my nephew, Cindy, our crew chief and me.  Cindy is probably the most insane one because she got our of bed at 4 AM just to go hand us "stuff" and take pictures!  Shawn is on the verge of insane because he drove 5 1/2 hours, paid $35, got up at 4 AM, ran 31 miles and then drove another 5 1/2 hours home the next day.  Me?  I have always said that running, no matter what distance, keeps me sane.  I don't know where I would be these days if running wouldn't have been part of my life over the years.  Here is why the Frosty 50 was insanely sane.

• The company of Shawn running and Cindy crewing (love them!)
• The other runners with their joy, determination and perseverence (even the guy who won in 3:00:10 (What?)
• The venue - 5 miles of lake front amid trees and brush resting in the winter
• The idylic Frosty 50 where the start was truly frosty at 29 degrees but warming to 50
• The blue sky and bright sunshine making sunglasses a must
• The winter wildlife in the lake
• The volunteers and race organizers who always provided (I was starving at mile 23 and the volunteer offered PB&J!)
• The burning of 3300 calories
• Burgers and Beers at Tribeca Grill to celebrate
• The soreness that said that the body did something truly diffuclt but rewarding
• Sandstone medals instead of the big marathon gaudy ones

Sitting is much more insane than this! There is more "sanity" to come this year and I look forward to every mile!

 ...The sun rising over Salem Lake...

 ...Shawn and me, halfway to 50K...

 ...Our Crew Chief and my girl...

Fresh Start 2013

It's January 3rd, 2013 and time to further my attempt at regular or, shall I say, renewed, blogging.  My other blog http://runnersthoughts.blogspot.com/ ended on January 1, 2010 for a variety of reasons and none which I wish to discuss.  However, there are some very good and personal posts on that blog.  2012 wasn't a great year for running events, travels, etc. but was great for other reasons.  I now want to turn my attention back to doing what I love with running and that is writing about running - being involved, knowing other runners, events, and experiences.  The two go hand-in-hand.  Running brings clarity to many things only to be offset by confusion when the heartbeat subsides and the steps slow.  At the very least, I hope to post every day that I run and capture the moments as I once did years ago.  Some of my favorite posts were observations, picking up the details on a run, seeing life as it is truly meant to be seen, in the details.  Some days, the details might be in your mind alone, but on others, the focus is on the world around you.  In some ways it is difficult to think and imagine outside of "the you" in life.  It must be practiced.  There is no better place to practice than on a run. 

Last night I registered at dailymile.com and finally synched my Garmin with the Garmin Connect, Training Center and dailymile.  My first issue of Marathon & Beyond arrived yesterday.  I run my first ultra of the year on Saturday.  So far, it is a good start to the year related to running.  I have also accepted that I no longer have the pace that I used to and have more aches and pains but I still hope to to have the courage to continue to run, engage, endure and persevere because more than anything else, running defines me and makes me a better and happier person.

I ran 3.1 miles today just trying to stay somewhat loose for the 50K Saturday.  Sitting is the root of all health evil.  It rusts the body and as I age, yet still sit behind a desk, I need to move more, especially to stretch these tense muscle fibers.

Also, although this blog relates primarily to running, I don't see life as one-dimensional. Just because I don't mention other aspects of my life here doesn't mean that there are no other aspects of my life.  I am sure some of those other aspects will creep into these posts.