Respite: Training Day 1

3 Mile Run-21 minutes 30 seconds

I have to figure out a way to write about my training without sounding egotistic and self-congratulatory. 21:30 is a pretty good time for me considering I haven't been running much over the past month, but I'm not going to publicly pat myself on the back about it here. It's like those senseless post-game interviews that happen after close NBA games where an interviewer asks the star player something like: "At which point did you realize that you were going to have to take the game into your own hands to dig out the win?" And the star comes back with something like: "Well you know, I kinda knew all along that my team always depends on me to win, you know it's been that way all season and I knew the same thing would kinda be true tonight so I just kinda had to step up and you know win one for my team." The stupid question gets the obvious answer where the player is more or less forced to attest to his or her awesomeness.

The thing about distance running is that it is a completely solitary endeavor. The results that one gets are totally dependent on the work that the individual puts into the workout or race. Most runners that run aren't going out to races on the weekend to win, but rather to set personal record times for themselves. The victories are mostly individualistic (unless you are the extraordinary runner who has the stuff to beat a field of thousands). Thus, if you're feeling like you put in some pretty good work during a workout or race nobody really needs to question you about it.

It's cool when you cross the finish line at a race and see everybody smiling. No need to ask how the race was for them. You summon the will to compete and finish, you win. It's the beauty of running.

Ryan the Sound Guy