dedicated to dean

As my coworker was howling in the unison with 20 dogs and I was scrubbing kennels inside I came to realization that indeed my running sabbatical is over. I read interview with Dean Karnazes in Competitor over and over that day. I stared at his photo until I could not get his image out of my head. Yes, sure, I was hoping for a month off from running, but as second week came to an end, I started pondering if I was able to run at all at that point. I missed it so much, I even dropped tears on the elliptical at work.

Today I set off on easy 10 as my stomach, thighs, calves and even my chin was jiggling. I was realized how far I have to go and how hard I have to train to even get close to the shape I was in last summer. Dean’s interview popped in my head again. “ I am 45 years old. I have 4.5 percent body fat and my resting heart rate is under 40”. Ok, ok, ok. I can do this. I can run and train til I get a nose bleed. After all this guy didn’t even start doing crazy stuff til he hit his 30th birthday, when he set off on a 30 miler after sitting in a pub pounding beers. Yeah, he is a dude and all, but not much different then me. Not at all. He has resourses now, but he did not then. Why can’t I run in 4 deserts? Why can’t I run 50 marathons in 50 days? Why can’t I?
I could not come up with the reason. Sky is the limit, right? Wrong. There is no limit. I have decided on some hard core changes in my life, but none of those changes involve me not running, not competing, not doing the best, not lacing up my shoes in any weather, any condition and setting of on a run. 10 miles? Sure. 50? Why the hell not?
I hope to run 100 next spring. I hope to do Western States and Badwater before I move to Moscow. I don’t hope. No. I plan to do it. I plan to do it as well as I can. I plan to get into Moscow running scene. Live to run and run to live. It will be amazing to find myself in that part of the world again. I plan to run all the major marathons in Europe, Asia and Africa even if that means scraping money for plane ticket for months in advance.

With all that I had two grand ideas as I finished the run today. First, is to organize a transsiberian race or a race along the Volga river. I think that would be completely amazing and hard core. I can find sponsors. No big deal. Runners are tough and can sleep in tents right? There could be a van or two to transport goods and carry the equipment. Maybe we make it into Runner’s World or Guinness book of world records.
Second idea mostly came from dehydration. I don’t know if this exists already but as I had a craving for cold and flavored something, I thought… Why don’t they sell beer popsicles or vodka popsicle at the store? I even came up with a plan how to make them in my fridge!

Perhaps, insanity runs in my blood. I can’t help it. I get bored easily. I hate conformity and being told what to do. Limits is not something I can ever settle on. My body is nearly a shell which if worked and fed properly will perform incredible things. My mind… hmmm, let’s not go there!

Cheers to summer weather and more running adventures.
Xox
TBat