Hang out with Happy Trailrunners. Or not.

Throughout our lives we have many roads to choose from. We take these roads alone or join in a circle of people we find interesting or exciting. Once in that circle of people the decision must be made whether to stay or jump off and join another.

The people we associate ourselves with makes us who we are and who we want to be.

I have taken some roads I shouldn't have and stayed because, for the moment, it felt good.

On others I hung on because I knew it would lead to something good.

I have enjoyed many roads in my 53 years of life. In retrospect, there are some I shouldn't have been on, and stayed too long, and others I missed. But I am here and am comfortable where I am. Sure, there have been rocky roads, and points where I've had to crawl out from under rocks, but at this point in my life looking back at what could have been is a waste of time. 

I look back at sad times in my life, but the best are those that make me smile.

On today's run with my good friend Lalo, I couldn't help but think how lucky I am. He is young and doesn't mind hanging out with me running on the trails. He pushes me to the limit and brings out the best in me. 

He makes me feel young. He makes me find strength I didn't know I had. Trail runners are good that way.

Trail runners run hard when they want to but can make it a leisurely stroll when they need to. Many times we reflect and share thoughts. Many times on hard runs too!

I've made great friends running trails. 

Whether it's running trails, Bicycling, enjoying cooking, walking with friends, playing games, find a circle of people who make you happy. Life is better that way.

Hello

"Yugen (Japenese) describes an awareness of the universe that triggers feelings too deep and mysterious for words. An ineffable, poignant profundity of the kind you might feel whilst sitting meditatively alone on a beach at sunset, feeling the ephemeral nature of eternity itself". 

This is the Same feeling I get while running over nature trails. Alone or with special friends.
And what explains , somewhat, why I haven't posted lately. Sometimes I feel I can't explain my experiences.

I've reached that age where I don't feel I have to run a whole bunch of miles to be fit or to prepare for a race. I am registered for the Cactus Rose 50 miler on Oct. 27 (Recently I told myself I wouldn't run long anymore) so I do need to train but I proved to myself, in training for my June Colorado 50 miler, that I don't have to run more than 50 miles a week to have a good race. I do enjoy a hard run now and then. And they are very beneficial. Lately I've been running with my good, "Young", friend Lalo at least once a week. He keeps me honest by pushing me to work hard. I need this. But with a fifty three year old body I need to be conservative. As in conserve my body for the long haul. Besides, I'm in this sport to enjoy myself.  Enjoy nature, meditate out on the trails, and Have fun with other trail runners. Yes I do have to put in the miles but I now feel that there's no need to push the envelope on every training run. Only when I'm running with the young guns. Or when I'm running a short distance event.
 I ran a 10 mile race in Gig Harbor Washington on September 01. On Vacation I had to find an event. The weather couldn't be better. Upper 40's, a light wind, and overcast. I couldn't believe my pace at the start! I covered the first mile in 7:14 and thought, "wow, that's too fast" But I told myself I'd keep it up as long as I can. at 5 1/2 miles I walked three steps going through an aid station while I drank water and picked it back up. The course was somewhat hilly and I was able to attack the hills  with no problem. I kept thinking how those hill workouts at Friedrich Park with Lalo were paying off. At mile 8 I attacked a hill with all I had and dropped two guys I had been leaping frogging with through out the race never to see them again until after the race where I spoke to one of them. We had a good time recalling the course.
I finished with a time of 1:15:18! Very fast for me. I thought I may have placed but could not hang around. Had a date with Mt. Rainier. Later I found out I was 7th in my age category. There sure are some REALLY fast old guys in Washington state.
Tomorrow is the 8 mile Zoo run. I'm on a 4 person relay team so I'll have to push that envelope on my 2 miles. It will be fun. 

I'll stay in touch