Transitioning

Team "Talbot Dudes," Valliant (runner), Charlie Cauffman (swimmer) and Keene (biker), brought home 3rd place hardware for the men's relay division at the Eagleman Triathlon.

To be able to run a respectable 10-mile race or half-marathon at the drop of a hat, without having to ramp up training. That's been my stated long-term fitness/running goal for the past few years. This spring I lived those words. April was a trail half-marathon; May a 10-mile road race; and June unexpectedly brought a half-marathon as a relay leg of the Eagleman 70.3 triathlon.

I've run less this spring than any of the past four years, in part to allow some down time (anticipating fall races), in part balancing new pursuits like longboard skateboarding, and most recently a daily yoga practice. The "time off" from running has helped me savor the 7-8 mile road training runs, even though I'd prefer to be on the trails. It's helped me get back into a real running mentality, where I'm now looking forward to getting back out for the 20-mile training runs and the self-inflicted deliriousness that comes near the end of long runs.

My off season has me amped for training camp--living well within limits to gear up for testing them again. I am not fully sure what that means for fall racing. So far, the Susquehanna 25-mile Super-Hike in September is hanging out there as the focal point, but knowing the nature of the long hike/trail runs, I know it would be great training for an October ultra. Joel Shilliday has sent around info on the Oil City 100 Trail Runs, in his neck of the woods. Very tempting for a 50K or 50-mile trail run. What that race is will likely unfold over the next month or so. And there has been real discussion about a November Rise Up Runner road trip to the Outer Banks, to run the OBX Marathon & Half-Marathon.

But for now, the later fall is open. That's felt good this spring. But to paraphrase a woman who was riding on the bus to or from the 4.4-mile Bay Swim that RUR Landy Cook just completed, it is a good idea "to do something that both excites you and scares the heck out of you every year." I like that as a life philosophy.