Indoor Season...

I used to like indoor. I used to like the feeling of clicking away lap after lap in a matter of seconds, feeling that you are running faster than you really are. I used to like knowing that I wouldn't have to deal with wind or rain or cold in the race. I used to like the up close and personal feel you get with the crowds with the smaller facilities. I used to like indoor...

Right now, indoor and I are on VERY rough terms. I am not fond of indoor. I am not fond of winter. I am not fond of that dreaded, dismal, awful, less than 400m track. I strongly dislike how close to the crowds you are...

Three poor... no, that's not the right word... Three horrible... ya, that works... Three horrible races in a row. Not one effort to be proud of. Three times leaving that miserable, crowded, humid, sorry excuse for a facility feeling like a failure. Feeling like I shouldn't even have bothered. No, I do not like indoor, not one bit...

Then there's winter. Oh winter, how I loath thee right now. The bitter cold. The awful colds that only pretend to go away, just to reappear when you can't afford them. The feeling of always running on empty. Running out of breath doing the simplest of tasks. I dislike winter...

But, I do not hate indoor. Indoor is a part of my life, a part of my running that I have dedicated all of myself too. I cannot hate it, for I love running. I love to race. And they are one in the same. And winter, though it is the time of illness, it also brings snow, and encourages hot coffee and hot coco. No, I do not hate indoor and I do not hate winter... We are just not talking at the moment...

"The Streak"

150

150 is a pretty big number. You might think that in the big picture, it really isn't, but imagine this: 150 rabid dogs chasing you, 150 balloons stuffed in your car, 150 days in solitude. 150 is a lot.

Starting September 6th, I ran consecutively for 150 days, without a day off. Ya, some days were 2-3 miles, but others were 12-15. Distance aside, that is 150 days of constant pounding on my legs. 150 days of constant fatigue. Those were a great 150 days, until I started trying to race...

I learned very quickly through all this that streaks are okay if you run for recreation. But, if you are trying to be competitive, they don't work too well. Sure, streak a season is one thing, but streak through the off-season, through times where you should be not running, is not good. I know there are guys out there, fast guys, who probably streak, but it is not for me. I will not be attempting this again, unless one day, in the far off future, I am in a spot where it makes sense. Until then, happy resting.