Run On!

Run On is a phrase I adopted a bunch of years ago. I started using it in pre-race communications with runners and it just sort of stuck. If you’re ever out for a run early in the morning in Warwick Park in Lititz and you meet/pass some old guy plugging along and he greets you with “Run On,”  It could be me. One of the reasons I do it is because I’ve noticed that if I’m out for a run and I get a cheery greeting, or a “keep going” or a “that’s a great pace” it adds a little “umph” to my run. I appreciate the greetings, consequently, I began greeting others and rather than a simple “hey” and a wave, I puffed out a “Run On.”  It too has stuck.

Mid Week Runs

I’m signed up for 26.2 in NJ a couple weeks before the Garden Spot Village Marathon/Half Marathon/Kids Marathon. My current mid-week runs are 5, 8 and 5. From my previous e-mails you know I’ve had to dig pretty deep to get myself out of bed at 4:00 a.m. to hit the trail.  We’ve all experienced it. Regardless of how much we love to run – sometimes it gets ugly.  Life or attitude gets in the way and it takes all the will power we can muster to stick to plan. Sometimes we lose the battle. We bag a run. If you bag a run the best thing to do is get back out there for the next one. Just fix it. Get back on schedule. You can’t do anything about missed runs. It’s not worth beating yourself up. Fix it going forward. Just get back on schedule.

Through the course of this training season I’ve missed two 8 mile runs. I’ve shifted days, I’ve shifted times but with the exception of those two I’ve kept up the weekly mileage. I seem to be in pretty good shape and, for me; it’s 5 weeks until race day. One of those 8 mile misses was this week and it’s a dangerous miss. While during the previous weeks things got challenging, this week I rolled out of bed at 4:00 a.m. feeling as though I had slept in. I woke up before the alarm, ready to run!  At the moment I feel extraordinarily good, so good it’s almost a sin. My 5 milers were off the charts awesome. I ran both of them faster than I’ve ever run 5 miles in my life. Every step from the first to the last was pure heavenly bliss. Those runs rocked.

Cautionary Thinking

It would seem that 8 mile miss didn’t do me any harm. If missing that one didn’t do me any harm missing another surely won’t do me any harm. You can see where this line of thinking can go. The other side of feeling so good is adjusting the training plan. I was talking to another runner yesterday, contemplating the idea of increasing my long, long run to 22 miles instead of 20. After all, it should be easier to tack on 4 on race day rather than 6, right?  His comment, “you just hate to stick to a plan don’t you?” I’m gonna stick to 20 and I’m recommitting myself to the midweek distances.

A Good Chuckle

There are a number of runners from Lititz training for our race. The reason I know that is because they’re out running at 4:30 in the morning during the week. For the last two weeks when I’ve pulled into the parking lot at Warwick Park there are often a couple of other cars there ahead of me. Only runners get up that early, bundle up and hit the trails at 4:30 a.m.  just for fun! A whole lot of people think we’re crazy and maybe we are but we do it because there’s nothing like a run on a cold brisk morning lighted by the moon under a star covered sky.

The reason I know those runners are running our race is because I greet people with my customary “Run On!” Some of them recognize it. Here’s a shout out to Rob who did that just this week and commented about these e-mails. Friday morning, just before 5:00 a.m. as a couple of runners approached, I puffed out “Run On” and they called back “Run On”. I had a wonderful chuckle. It’s the first time I’ve ever received that greeting. I love runners. You is good people!

A final note . . . registrations are good but we have slots available. Fees go up March 1st. We’d love for you to invite your friends to come and run with us this year. Don’t forget, run the Bird-in-Hand Half in September after completing our 26.2 or 13.1 and you earn the coveted Road Apple Award. Everyone needs one of those!

See you in April.

Run On!
Scott