Serious

I try hard to not take myself too seriously. My running is another matter. I do take that seriously. Unfortunately, sometimes all that seriousness spills over. This can be a bad thing. It's hard to say for sure, but it probably started with my Mohican experience last year. Although I'd already been suffering with Plantar Fasciitis that had begun in January. But the running had otherwise been going well. And I'd had great expectations. The running gods struck me down that time, and I haven't been quite the same since. By the end of 2011, things were beginning to look up once again, and I was doing some serious thinking about my 2012 running. I'd probably do some marathons as well as an ultra or two. Under consideration was the new spring version of our NorthCoast 24-Hour Endurance Run. Just before my first serious race of 2012, the Jacksonville Breast Cancer Marathon, the gods struck again - the PF got bad again. This, just as things seemed to be really coming together in serious fashion. Since then, I've tried to get even only a little serious again. Or perhaps I should say that my running has been getting a little more serious.

Except that it hasn't. The pain is still there no matter how you cut it. I have been slowly (and I do mean slowly) getting the mileage back. But I can't lick the pain. Last week I did 20 in Connecticut, and it didn't go too badly for me. Today I did some Hinckley Hills, followed by some trails for the first few miles of the Hinckley Buzzard 50K Run. It didn't go well. I felt sort of like a misfit; I couldn't do roads well, and trails were even worse. I suppose I need some serious downtime. If I thought that would work, I'd do it. Seriously.

Newbies

They just make me sick. All the hoopla and happiness. Don't they know that they're supposed to be miserable? Yes, I'm talking about all you newbies out there. I went to Columbus (for the Last Chance for Boston Races) with some of you, and also met up with a few others. I had to put up with all the talk about accomplishments and joyful running. I had to cheer everyone on, and act like I meant it. Well I didn't. I'm miserable and unhappy, and I hate running. Everyone else ought to too. . . . Okay, I was kidding. Really. I absolutely love all you new runners, and I love the fact that you're out there accomplishing things. You are invigorating and enriching the sport that I've loved for 38 years or so. May you continue to join us oldies.