You can call it a comeback
I was warned. As
Bekah and I began to circulate the news that we were planning to open a running
store of our own, friends in the running industry told me the funny part about
owning a store is you’ll never run less in your life. They happened to be right.
Bekah and I opened Mill City in the first week of July
2013. My last truly competitive effort
was a fast 8k in Chicago sometime in April 2013. So despite making the business of running our livelihood, our personal running goals were
largely put on hold.
That was until October.
A combination of envy and excitement that brought me back
from my self-imposed competitive exile.
I spent most of the last two years cheering on races from the
sidelines. I watched Get in Gear 10k and
TC 10 Mile, two of my favorite races, from the comfort of my Levi’s. I loved the opportunity to see the entire MCR
team as they would run by, but I wasn’t able to share in the post-race
excitement with the same fervor as those who had competed.
My turning point was a low key, non-timed, and somewhat
‘underground’ trail race in October.
Although I didn’t realize it at the time, it was the necessary elixir that
broke me out of my funk. In hindsight, the
race was a way to be competitive without worrying about mile splits, racing
tactics, or bag drop. It was hilly, it
was loosely organized and it was perfect.
The race ended up being an opportunity to see how hard I could push
myself off of little consistent training and no usable knowledge of trail running. Turns out I can still crank a little when
it’s called for.
Codswallop '14 - Previously unseen photos of Bigfoot
Since October I’ve strung together 18 solid weeks of base
mileage. I’ve put up 60-80 miles per
week for the last 4 months and I’m (mostly) having fun doing it. As they say, winter miles bring spring
smiles.
I would like to thank the following for keeping me going
during this resurgence: Lemon Lime Nuun, the Hoka Clifton, Bekah, and my
CorrectToes. This is in no particular
order.
Jeff
