Thursday, April 26, 2007

Not Bitten Again ... Yet

It's Spring again, and I'm still waiting to get bitten again by the running "bug".

I've described myself as a "runner" for over 25 years now. I went out for track and cross country in high school, and was pretty good about running in the off-season as well. But when I got to college, I had quite a lot else on my mind. My running suffered, and each time I would commit myself to getting up early in the morning, lacing up those shoes, and heading out the door, I found a reason not to go.

Eventually, in the late 80s, I set myself some goals (distance races, etc.), and off I went. I entered a bunch of races, from the Marine Corps and Philadelpia Marathons, to a New Year's race that began at midnight in Central Park in New York City.

In looking through extensive logbooks I kept of my training runs, I noticed a pattern I had settled into. It went something like this: training for a race, running it, taking a break from hard running for a few months, feeling bored, setting another goal, and returning to serious running. I haven't run in a competitive road race since 2003. Maybe this'll be the year I decide on something to train for, then go out and do it.

But so far, I'm just not feeling it.

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