inertia

a few months ago i finally restarted running down a path i had always dreamed i'd explore again one day. it has been a solid decade since my last attempt, which ended in injury and the bitter disappointment that comes as a package deal. but all these years later i have somehow found my way back to the trail head. and as i am now a few months in i feel i can safely say that i believe i have found the inertia needed to make this a real effort.
the journey in this somewhat extended metaphor is the road to the Olympic Trials Marathon. perhaps needless to say, this will be no small task. i am many years removed from the fastest of my running days. i can barely run for one mile what i used to average in a 10k. i have recently moved to a place with no hills and an unforgiving hot and humid climate for a large portion of the year. maybe i am delusional or perhaps just foolish but if i remember correctly those were some of the qualities brought me the most success in my early days. after all, how logical is running to nowhere and back or in endless circles or pushing yourself into levels of pain many would rush to their local ER for? yes, we runners are a special breed but to paraphrase the late great coaching legend Bill Bowerman, "running, one might say, is basically an absurd pastime upon which to be exhausting ourselves. but if you can find meaning in the kind of running it takes to (be successful), chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd past-time: Life."
so here i am, excited, hopeful, foolhardy, and trying again to beat the clock. my hopes in detailing this adventure are that my setbacks and successes will be a learning experience for you. that i will have an invaluable journal of this crazy process. that i may share some of the many things i have learned over the years about this sport i love and that you may share some of your experience in return. that i may shed some light on the immense challenges that many post collegians in this country face in moving to the next level of competition. and maybe that it will be a bit interesting in the process. it's going to take a lot hard work, support, stupidity, and some good luck. so...wish me luck?


notable marks of the week:

4:44 mile on the track last week. my mile PR is 4:11. i have some work to do.

if you would like to peek into my daily workout regimen you can find my Garmin running log here:

http://connect.garmin.com/explore#owner=wbernaldo&sortField=relevance¤tPage=1