Tombstone

"A veteran HoustonFIT runner said that when he dies, his tombstone will read 'Left on Crestwood, Right on Blossom' ."

Yep folks, it's marathon training season again! This weeks HoustonFIT run, the third of about 26 or so, took us along our favored path, the conjunction of Crestwood and Blossom. The quote above was relayed to our Yellow Group (9 to 10 minute mile pace) by our new head coach Alaina; she herself was quoting Mack, one of our runners with the longest tenure. There's a case to be made that the repetition of Crestwood and Blossom is mind numbingly boring. Equally valid is the case that training for my fifth marathon is a bit of a bore. But yet, despite it all, I, and many other familiar faces, continue on.

I doubt we do it for the toys, though I am happy to report that I have a new one; I'm the proud owner of a Garmin Forerunner 405. This latest of the Garmin GPS running watches is basically a location device with more computing power than the first couple of computers I owned ... combined. Routes, pace, calories, heart rate, and wireless communication are just a few of it's tricks, and I can say that after just one run, I'm quite enamored with it. It will let me record my runs in truly gory detail (bring on the numbers!!!)!

But toys come and go, so maybe I train for the side benefits; other races. Last year was the SunMart 50k, my first Ultramarathon (or ultra hike, as the pace was admittedly slow). This year, in just a month actually, will be my first uber relay, Hood to Coast. Though most of us do bring a respectable running pedigree to the Hood team, we're all ultimately together because of the people we know.

And that's really what it comes down to, the people. Though I'm sure I've basically written this post before (probably about this time last year!), it's worth reiterating that the people and all their accompanying drama make the dynamics of a training group fun (and the training isn't bad either!). Whether it's making new friends, finding time for old ones, listening to our walkers deal with being kicked out of the marathon, or girlfriend/boyfriend athletic bonding, the people keep it fun. I really can't fathom running with another group, and am surprised by the familiar faces that I see running the streets with no group, or more surprisingly, running with the likes of Kenyan Way or Runners High. Those people are often putting their personal goals ahead of the group dynamic, and feel a change of scenery will help; I certainly can't begrudge them that. For me though, I like my little running group to much to consider anything else.

Though I'm basically healthy for the first time in a year, and running more frequently than I have in about that same amount of time (behold July's mileage to your right; the busiest month of the year thus far!), for all I know this could be my last marathon training season. Deep down I doubt that, but all things come to an end; even if I keep running for many, many years, half-marathon specialization is certainly in the cards for my old, busted knees and feet.

The thought that this marathon might be it, the last one, led to a rehash of what could be called my yearly "GET HYPED, IT'S TIME TO TRAIN" post. Though the group is fun, I also use them for peer pressure to help me accomplish my goals. As the years go by, I know I get closer to the "running is better than drinking and watching too many sports" part of my running career, so I know I have limited opportunities to set a personal best in the marathon. I'm healthy and have the support of the usual cast of characters (though one is in a slightly different role this year ... don't you just hate inside comments on a blog ... goodness!) so I hope to be able to hit things hard and have a good race come January. Good doesn't necessarily mean a record, I've certainly been running long enough to know that, but last year I was hurt, and that certainly was not the good I was looking for.

Left on Crestwood, right on Blossom ... for at least one more year!