mile four

weekend distance:  11 miles
on the iPod:  "daylight" -- maroon five

The first week of July starts tomorrow, and with that usually comes an underlying sense of disappointment that the summer season is unofficially halfway over.  But not this year.  Not right now.  This season has been too incredibly fun -- traveling for weddings, quietly drinking coffee and reading The New York Times every morning on my iPad, mowing and watering the yard, spending time with people I love, drinking iced tea -- to not be excited about the second half.  Other than taking a less-than-fullfilling grad school class, Summer 2013 has been swell.  And it's only going to get better in July:  Vicky and Janet are again throwing their Independence Day fireworks blowup, my nephew Charles is having a birthday party, i'm going to the beach with my family, and, most importantly, it's finally time to begin training for my seventh marathon.

The month of June wasn't exactly down time, however, as I logged some really strong shorter distances, finishing yesterday with the Cancer Challenge 10K, which has become one of my favorite Northwest Arkansas events.  They have, hands down, the best swag bag i've ever seen for a race, and the best part is that the bag itself is a soft-sided cooler, which is perfect for carrying water and gatorade (and maybe even beer) during August training runs.  I also love the course, which starts in Memorial Park and winds through downtown Bentonville, ending only after two monstrous, killer hills in mile four.  They are back-to-back and pack a wallop, providing a swift kick in the backside that I absolutely love.  The event also has a 5K which is equally as popular and offers a less challenging course.  Per usual, there were tons of friends at the race, including Darryl and Jeri Hill, Sarah Hood, who immediately after finishing proclaimed "mile four is stupid" with a smile on her face, my friend Heather, who will be running NYC as well, and Todd, who was running his very first race.  I wish I could have seen him finish, but I was still on the 10K course when he crossed the 5K finish line.  Regardless, I was thinking about him and hoping for the best.  He killed it.  I'm fairly certain he enjoyed it enough to run more races, which makes me happy for him.  And if not, that's cool, too, because he stays pretty busy being a dang mess.  But no more of a mess than me.

I woke up today to another beautiful summer day in Fayetteville, and with legs that felt great and a temperature gauge settled in the 70's which is unheard of in Arkansas, I knew a lake run was going to happen.  Going out solo proved to be a great dichotomy to yesterday's 10K, because it gave me a chance to decompress and be thankful for all that I have and all that I'm able to do. It was just hot enough for a post-run cool down in the pool, and it was great to talk to one of the fastest runners I know, Pauline, who was working on her swimming.  Equally as sweet was getting see my perfect little nephew kicking and splashing and acting bigger than his britches.  Watching him in the pool reminded me of my sister and I growing up and how much we enjoyed swimming as well.  

   

The New York City Marathon is November 3rd, so that means a four month training plan should start this week.  Of course i've left the details to Mrs. Murie in terms of actually putting together our calendar, but I feel confident in her abilities to get me prepared to finish boldly in Central Park.  This won't exactly be he first rodeo.  I could pledge to follow the midweek runs as prescribed, to start each morning with a protein shake, to go to bed each night no later than 9:30, to buy two pair of shoes and switch them out each week, and all the other things that serious runners do.  I could.  But it wouldn't be my style to do all that.  I would simply rather run for the sake of running, falling in love with the sport over and over again, with every trail, every long run, every finish line.

Run.