What have you done for me now?

“He used to be a runner.  Now he is old, slow and fat.”  I think the sharp comment directed at me by a soon to be former trackie as I rounded the corner is mostly in jest with a pinch of reality.  Is it true that you are only as good as last week’s mileage total?  Why does our small band of runners consistently evaluate each other in terms of, “What have you done for me now?”

We all have running accomplishments.  We retell running exploits while sitting around the beer chest and crowding each other’s kitchens during parties devouring deserts.  Eventually the questions become, “How much did you run this week or what is your next event?”  A piercing reminder of that was before – not now.   

And so, it was during a break in training (some may say lapse in training) that I had to once again pull it together and muster the confidence to start anew.  I had to find the will to do what is natural – run.

I struggle with getting my mind right.  I feel the need to watch, “Cool Hand Luke,” right now.    The joy of running, without purpose, isn’t very joyful. 

The first thing I need to do is simple.  Just go run.  A few miles is better than no miles.  3 days per week is better than no days per week.  Every week in a month is better than no weeks a month…  

The second thing I need to do is painless.  Just commit to something - anything.  Pick an event and put down the money.  Here in lies my weakness.  I don’t “just commit.”  I go big.  For me, commitment is a toss-up between ambitious goal setting and complete stupidity.  This time around I went for complete stupidity.

The third thing I need to do will physically hurt.  Get serious about your commitment.  Money is involved.  Missing an event due to a self induced lack of training from an apathetic attitude isn’t going to happen.  Scott Hamilton once said, “The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”  It is time for me to choose my attitude.  It is time to run with a purpose.  It is time to embrace the pain (there will be pain) and joy (there will be joy) of another training cycle.

The fourth thing I need to do is mentally tough.  Accept the kind words and motivation from others along the way.  Return the favor.  What we do as a runner-in-training is a significant undertaking, both personally and for those nearby.         

It’s all paid in advance.  Now to implement my 2013 Plan of Complete Stupidity in order to accomplish my ridiculously ambitious 2014 goal.  The ultimate goal is to run my 50^th marathon/ultramarathon at the 2014 Cowtown Marathon at least one hour faster than my first marathon.  My first Marathon was at the 2004 Cowtown Marathon in just under 4 hours.

To meet the goal I need to complete a crazy number of events in 2013.  You are more than welcome to share some or all of the pain along the way (Psycho 50K, Cross Timbers Marathon, Crazy Desert Marathon, Grasslands Marathon, Hell’s Hills 50M, Pandora’s Box of Rocks Marathon, Whispering Pines 50K, Abilene Summer Solstice 6HR, Vermont 100M, Palo Duro 50K and one other TBD event). 

For 2013 I think I will have a response for, “What have you done for me now?”