Saturday, September 4, 2010

Sept Multiday - Saturday

This morning: 21 miles of 8x2s.
This evening: core plus 30 min walking uphill on the tm.

I did 8x2 to give my legs an easy day. I left a bit out there this morning. Maybe because of a blister. Maybe because of tomorrow. Maybe I was a little low on liquids and it was getting hot. Thats why I had the energy for the tm this evening.

I got up at 5 and did my coffee and spiritual reflection. By 6:40, I started in at the levy, looking forward to a nice boring day. But pretty soon, I noticed an issue: an aid station with 6 or 8 jugs (uh oh). It turns out one of those coaching "train for a marathon" groups was having their LSD in my neighborhood. They had groups of runners coming along that must have totalled near 70 or even 100. So my usually lonely place was almost a traffic jam (meaning I even had to use the porta at one end instead of the great outdoors).

It was sort of a learning experience. My "road less travelled" was obviously not that. These groups of socialites, jabbering their way along, were obviously so not in touch with "the loneliness of the long distance runner." But I was obviously out of step, "hearing a different drummer." Typical life for an introvert: alone in a group, drinking my own particular sports drink, going the wrong way. It appeared we were doing the same thing, but I am not "training." Hours after the herds had gone on, I was still there. My intentions were more toward reflection than accomplishment.

Well, after about 2 hours, they were all gone and I had the rest of the time by myself, mulling over what had just happened. I see that running as a group activity does not at all serve my purpose, not even for one day a week; especially since I only get two days a week to do hours of running. And I see why I don't tolerate marathons too much any more: you have to deal with a hoard of people.

In a group of people, I am continually adjusting to other's space and behavior, not being myself, distracted from my inner resources and unconscious of the other levels of reality. So I missed it today.

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