2000 Down and Still Going..... Slowly

La Luz Trail, Albuquerque, NM

In Springfield, Missouri, on a boring, run-of-the-mill 5 miler in the early morning darkness Wednesday, I passed 2000 miles for 2014. With roughly seven weeks left in the year, I would expect to peak out at close to 2300. Not too bad for being pretty unmotivated most of the year.

My running has taken an odd turn over this year. I have really become one of those "run for the sake of running" kind of guys. I'm certainly not complaining. I like being able to not be training for something yet still be committed to the activity. And that IS what I am committed to, the activity.

At this point, I am in the SSD training program. Haven't heard of it? Surely you've heard of LSD (long slow distance). Well, I have invented SSD (short slow distance). The beauty of SSD is that you are rarely worn out, seldom injured and most often cannot wait for the next run. On the hand, and they DO come in pairs, you don't get any faster, stronger or lighter. Oh well. Tradeoffs.

As I said, I'm not complaining. 2300 miles will be a good year and the sixth in a row over 2000. The years of 3000 have probably passed but so have the eight years of <2000 when I worked at Coldwell Banker (something about that whole full time job thing that makes mileage a challenge). 

Also on the upside, I still have goals; dreams of places and events in which to participate. In fact, that keeps getting stronger as the year winds down. A 50K is coming soon, some mountain races will populate 2015, and someday, yes someday, the Mont Blanc Marathon.

Until then, just yell "coming by" as you approach, and "good job" as you go by. I'm just happy to be out there.