time to wake up

It all starts between your ears first.
The weather today is no different than yesterday.
The bed you slept in is the same.
Your socks go on the same way.
But each competitive season has one moment where inertia is broken and preparation begins in earnest. And that all has to start with an active decision first before any physical manifestation may occur.
Yesterday was that day for me for the 2008 running season and specifically for the Grand Tree Series.
My .mp3 player is even getting updated. Yeah, THAT serious.
* * * *
The 2007 season ended up well for me as you have previous read, oh intrepid reader ~ 34th place in the Stonehead ranking and a 54th over-all in the Grand Tree points rankings. Once again, Carolyn and I completed the Concept II Holiday rowing challenge of 200,000 meters rowed between Thanksgiving and Christmas and in doing so, I finished off my first 1 million meter threshold.
But, I have enjoyed my successes too much this winter, gotten nice and fat and enjoyed being lazy.
But, since the end of the rowing challenge, we've started the base resistance training program getting a foundation going that was sorely lacking in the early stages of the season last year. I have to wonder if this was the cause of at least part of the tender achilles and tight hamstrings last year. Already, they are more pliable than last season with the deep squats and other activities.
There have been disappointments also and one has to expect that if goals are set high enough to provide a great challenge, some targets are going to be missed. We haven't gotten to snowshoe for anything other than a run around the neighborhood during the big storms. 'Life' just won't allow it. I didn't get to run in the Soapstone Assault, nor any of the late summer or autumn trail events. I have set these down as goals for 2008.
And we all know that goals are always more successful when they are written and signed off on.
And that is what I'll do in the next few days. And they will be posted here for the world to see and for me to be regularly reminded of.
Until then, mornings are for interval work at FSA, resistance training in the basement, LSDs on weekends getting up to 180 minutes before Northern Nipmuck and getting ready to run with friends all spring and summer.
Email me when you have yours set.