Winter Is Coming

Recently I've been glued to my TV on Sunday nights watching HBO's new series, "Game Of Thrones."  It's based on the A Song Of Ice And Fire series by George R.R. Martin that I've been reading.  We're only two episodes into the season and I've been very pleased thus far.  It's fun watching the characters come to life.  And it's strange knowing what's going to happen, but fun watching it play out in front of my eyes.

Try wearing Ned's gear on a run!

One of the oft-quoted lines is that of House Stark; their words are "Winter Is Coming."  As I sit here and watch the snow fly out the window, it feels like winter is coming.  I realize we're nearly into May and winter is passing, though with the Squaw Peak 50 on the horizon, it looks like I'll be dealing with winter on race day.  So winter is definitely coming for me!

I'm not looking forward to slogging through mile after mile of white stuff in June.  What happened to the four seasons?  Instead I get 8 months of winter?  What a crappy tradeoff.  I'm especially done with snow covered trails, and post-holing up to my knees in snow.  It was fun for a few months, but this is getting ridiculous!  I want to be in the thin air, gasping for breath as I climb higher up a mountain face.  I want to go on a run with my wife (she doesn't do cold).  I want to feel the warmth of the sun shining down on my back.  I want salt caked on my face.  Mostly I just want it to be summer!

Since Squaw Peak looks to have plenty of snow however, I have no choice but to embrace the winter.  Looks like I'll need to keep up on my winter running skills.  So here's to one more month of cold, wet fun!  Winter is coming June 4th, whether I like it or not.

Life's Little Lessons

I meant to sit down and write out this post about a week ago.  Sometimes life gets in the way though, but I'm ok with that.  My family and close friends know that my grandfather passed away just over a week ago.  He was a shining example of what a role model should be.  He was constantly serving and helping others, and always supported those he loved in their endeavors.  In recent years, he showed a lot of interest in my running adventures and always inquired as to how races and training had gone.  I feel lucky to have had such a great person in my life.  I'll definitely miss him, but look forward to seeing him again someday.

This event provided me with some time to deeply ponder what's really important in my life, and for that I'm grateful.  I've become more cognizant of the fact that running is nowhere near the top of that list.  At the end of the day, running - and particularly ultrarunning - is a self-indulgent activity.  No one but me benefits from the hours I spend running.  While it helps me maintain balance in my life, it does not serve to uplift others in any way.  Life frequently finds ways of reminding me to schedule running into my life, and not vice versa.
 
With all that said, recovery has gone well in the last two weeks.  I was only sore for about 2 days after, but took 5 full days off just to give my body some rest.  I've been running about every other day since and I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule this week.  I've got about 8 weeks until the Squaw Peak 50 and - based on the snowpack we're experiencing here in Utah - it looks like I'll need every bit of training I can fit into my schedule.

The lessons I learned from this last race will also aid in my ability to find success.  Actually racing an event taught me more than I learned in any other event last year; and last year was my "rookie" year!  This most recent event taught me valuable lessons about nutrition, water/salt balance, the value of a great crew, mental toughness, gear, and how training mileage relates to races.  That's the short list.  I could ramble about how each of these items pertain to me, but I won't.  It's sufficient to say that I feel much more prepared going into the summer than I thought possible.  And the importance of being prepared - both physically and mentally - cannot be overstated.

Today I have a happy outlook on life and look forward to my upcoming adventures in running!