Saturday, September 1, 2007

And so the training begins...

With hopes of completing my first 50 mile race, I have officially begun training. I will use a modified version of Master Po's(see www.mrbimble.com), cunning training plan to get my legs ready for November. In mind is the Stone Cat 50 in Ipswich,Mass. This unique trail race consists of 4 laps of about 12 miles. Although you are running on the same terrain throughout the race, you can opt to end after any of the laps. Dropping out early is certainly not my in mindset, but if needed I can do so.
It has been a tough transition to running down here in the high desert of Arizona. Hot tempuratures, monsoons, and high elevations has certainly slowed me down a bit. Thursday i completed my longest run of 12 miles, since leaving CT. I ran along a dirt road outside of Patagonia surrounded by mountains. It was certainly a beautiful setting!. I kept looking around for my fellow Bimbler's but realized it was just me.
This will be my hardest training yet. Not only because of the distance I plan on running, but because of the fact that it is just me. I won't have Iggy saying " Have totally lost your mind!" or Guthrie/Bimble to push me to my limits, or Ultra being Ultra. I will have to rely on determination and a strong will to push my body up and beyond its limits. This Monday, Labor Day, I will head to Saguaro National Park to take part in a scenic 8 miler. It will be nice o get back into the "game" and see all the runners out there. I will be sporting the usual Organic Athlete singlet with hopes of talking up the benifits of the raw vegan lifestyle.
As I talk to people here at the Tree of Life about my running goals and distances I hope to run in the future, some look at me with a strange look. Some don't understand why anybody would want to run, 10, 20, 50 and forget about 100 miles straight. It is so far out of reach for the vast majority of society. But for those who have completed these distances, and continue to do so in 125 degree July days, or 6am New England winters, understand. When the biophilia sets in nothing else seems to matter. Being out in the elements and truly becoming one with nature makes every step, as painful as it can be, worth it. I have learned so much about myself through running in a very short period of time. Besides the known health benefits, for me running is a form of meditation that helps connect me to the Divine. There are certainly days when I am tired and would rather read a book, but I have to get out there for a 45 minute run. One hour laterI am still out there running and feel like I can keep going. It's a beautiful thing!! Being in the moment and connecting with the environment simply makes all of lifes problems disapear. I run for myself, I run for the ones I love, and I run for peace!!
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly know how far they can go."
-T.S. Elliot

1 comment:

Jay Avitable said...

Mayor,

Sounds like you are ready to roll! Don't forget, that with heat and altitude, every 1 mile you run there counts for 2 "back home". Keep it up, and enjoy your race Monday.

Forrest