No More Faking It...

Heading up to Hope Pass from Winfield 2010

Over the past several runs I have come to terms with my running. Ever since I set foot on the road I have never enjoyed the run, unless pacing in a marathon. Each time I set foot in the woods on a trail I get filled with excitement about what lies ahead. Even during the day leading up to the run I am anxiously looking forward to the run. Even last night doing my hill repeats at the arboretum in temps over 100F I was enjoying the moment charging up the hill through the forest dripping sweat. Once the repeats were complete I headed along the path for a nice 1.5 mile tempo run to close it out. Looking back at my time I closed out the last mile in just under a seven minute pace.

All of my favorite races have been on dirt surfaces. Rocky Raccoon, Virgil Crest, American River, Hallucination, Umstead, Flirt with Dirt and many more. Those races provide me with an enjoyment I have yet to find in any road race.

Going forward I dedicating 90% of my running to dirt roads & trails. I still enjoy the challenge of track workouts so I left a few miles each week to an occasional non-earth surface. So that means any races going forward will be spent on the trails too. There are enough races on trail surfaces to keep me busy for many years, thank you to all the race directors out there for creating so many options!!

I have four weeks left until the Leadville 100 which I am very much looking forward too. Not just the challenge of the course, but all the views that will be taken in during the run.

To those of you that enjoy the road it is all yours and if you are looking for me head to woods. Best wishes on your running endeavors!