Carpe diem.
Seize the moment.
Why?
Because you never know when it is going to end ~ whatever ‘it’ is.
I had great dreams for this trail racing season. After doing 4 very strong events in 2006, could I classify as a ‘Stonehead’ on the Grand Tree Series completing six full trail events?
Could I do 10?
12?
Could I stay injury free?
Could I steal the time away from my family, sports and family to train, travel and compete in that many events?
Could I stay fit enough to compete properly and complete these events?
At 43 years of age?
Well, I have some answers now. But to get those answers means my season has ended.
* * *
I can (did) do six Grand Tree Series events in 2007.
I can’t stay entirely injury free, but I can manage the injuries well enough to keep running as much as my schedule allows ~ see my achilles problems the first half of the season. At least I now know what caused them - training in a certain brand of sneakers that are not known for their high quality heel counters forcing excessive calcaneal accessory motion!
At least I finished in less discomfort than I started.
I can’t train much during the summer and cannot race once the autumn hits. "Life" doesn't allow it.
All in all, acceptable answers for this year.
It makes me very proud to meet the minimum for Stonehead consideration. These were (for the most part) very demanding events and some were ridiculous! Although hindsight is often hazy, the Merrimack Riv-ah event was the one not as tough for me at least. Although not 'easy', it presented itself as close to being the distance that it really was than any other event. To balance that all out, the 7 Sisters is perceptually like a marathon even though it is supposedly less than half of one!
I missed a few trail events (regrettably) that I really wanted to do because I traded off one weekend for another to make sure my other responsibilities were met. The Soapstone Assault was the one that I have desperately wanted to do but couldn't now 2 years in a row. I even paid for this year's! Just needed an extra week of recovery.
But, for the second year in a row, I did two new events in addition to what I did the previous year. Both will have to stay on my calendar too - Merrimack Riv-ah! and Mt Greystone. I am even more excited about maybe the Muddy Moose in 2008 too!
But, now, I am upset.
I *really* wanted to do Breakneck. Karl (the RD) and I exchanged some comical emails about the event and course and after seeing how much he cares about the event and seeing the results on runwmac.com (with FIVE asterix) and more convinced than ever to do that next year.
Monroe Dunbar Brook too.
Busa Bushwack too - if for no other reason that to see Richard running and smiling at 77 years of age.
and maybe even the Hairy Gorilla if I stop covering hockey games?
But, as the nights are (supposed to be) getting chillier, it comes time to start the next challenge to blog about - the Holiday 200,000 meter Crew Challenge and to prepare for snowshoe season.
I'll be blogging about those in a few weeks too.
To you, reader, thanks for following along this year. Maybe (just maybe), the stories here tweaked some primal response to make you get up and move. Walk, hike, jog, run, trail run.
I'd really enjoy meeting you on the course (as I did this year with a few readers).
Why wait? Do it!
Carpe diem.
