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!
2 comments:
You're a good man Josh. Keep it up. You have definitely found the right balance between our crazy sport and living a normal life.
Speaking of our crazy sport, what is your schedule like over the next two weeks? Can you get out for some runs? I can try and meet your schedule, just let me know when you're available. Text if you want.
Good post Josh. It has definitely been a good couple of weeks for putting things in perspective. There definitely are things more important in life than running, however, everyone needs something to be passionate about or at a minimum have a diversion over the day to day grind, especially when we have an obsessive or addictive type of personality. It will always be a bit of a balancing act to keep everything aligned the way it should be.
Keep up the good work and focus on your training. I am looking forward to you having a great year.
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