Had some sore tendons and a tough time getting warmed up today. I passed Marsha and totally forgot that today was Tuesday (we were supposed to run together). Shoot. I forgot about labor day. I had such a great afternoon yesterday and relaxed to a degree that I forgot all about my first two commitments/appointments of the day. Instead, I meandered down the trail feeling the coolness in the late summer air, noticing the number of dead leaves gathering on the trail, watching the cows watch me run while they chewed their cud, and listening to the waves crash on the lake shore. I took it very easy and thought about the things I'd asked Michelle about yesterday: pushing beyond comfort level, interval training, tempo running, high miles vs. pure talent. I take only a mild interest in actual training. I put much of my true running experience behind me after high school X-Country-- mostly because I have enjoy the unadultered pleasure of "jogging". But every once in a while I think I just ought to be a little bit better at it after having done it for so many years. But that would require running uncomfortably 2-3 times a week. I also would be angry if I became injured while running uncomfortably. Last year at SGM when I literally thought I'd broken my hip during the race, the only thing I could think of was out there, hypothermic in the rain was: And now I'm never going to run again because I got vain and wanted to qualify for Boston. I wonder if bio-mechanically I can push my body beyond it's comfort zone in combination with higher weekly mileage without injury. So far, the only ones I've ever seen do this is Smooth and Sasha. Who as we all know, are hardly mortal. | 