To Old Goals and Beginning Anew

This training log cannot be found except by those who already know where it is. Congratulations, savvy explorer of the digital realm, you’ve made it! But though your journey has concluded, mine has just begun. It is my intention to use this platform to document my training leading up to the (anticipated) 2021 USATF Olympic Trials. On this forum, you will mainly find workouts and long runs which I deem either impressive or catastrophic enough to share — do not fear being inundated with banal musings on the common recovery run; although I do reserve the right to provide such insight should impulse befall me. Now, let us begin to wander through the mind of this middle distance runner as he wanders along the road to Eugene and beyond.

After an impromptu 5 days off from running in mid-June, I decided to take the opportunity to start fresh with a clean slate. Admittedly, my body probably didn’t need 17 days off — especially considering the light load I put on it throughout the spring as I prepared for Quals (~4mi/day for 2 months) — but 17 days of rest is what it got and, man, did the first few runs back take it out of me. The first official day back was Monday, June 29th, with the inaugural 3 miler. Thinking that what these bones really needed was a little bit of grease to get the pistons firing on all cylinders again, I set out on July 1st to run hard for 8 miles. By the time I got to mile 5 it was over, body out (mic drop). Struggling home, I reminisced on the time I rode 40 miles for the first time with Scott, when my legs would no longer obey my mind’s commands. When home was but a quarter mile away I stopped the watch, placed my hands on my knees, and listened to my body’s contempt for what I had just asked of it. I thought about growth as I walked it in. There is something hopeful about starting over. I have been running competitively for long enough to know that it doesn’t really matter if I make it to Eugene as an athlete next summer. As long as I appreciate the strides made along the way, it will be a road worth running.