Quick note

Quick note: It will not always be your best day, your favorite day, your smoothest day.  Our days and weeks can feel more like fartleks rather than smooth tempo runs.  Both are super-useful in training.

Years ago, back when we were in high school, my brother gave me one of my very favorite gifts.  It had nothing to do with him and everything to do with me.  A true gift. It was super thoughtful. I'm not always a fan of quotes because they can be taken out of context or they can't express a whole concept.  I have taught myself, however, to get something out of them and leave the negative thoughts about how they don't apply behind.
He typed up a bunch of running quotes, laminated them, and cut each one out individually.  Each quote has a magnet on the back and I keep a couple on the fridge.  One that I have up right now is this:

     "What makes a man run?  People can't understand why a man runs.  They don't see any sport in it.  Argue it lacks the sight and thrill of body contact.  Yet, the conflict is there, more challenging than any man versus man competition.  For in running it is man against himself, the cruelest of opponents.  The other runners are not the real enemies.  His adversary lies within him, in his ability, with brain and heart to master himself and his emotion."  --Glenn Cunningham

Watching the Lightning play hockey is thrilling.  It's not what you do though.  Watching Olympic athletes in the 1500m or 10K finals - it is man against others.  But this is about YOU.  It is about what you are doing.  Let's give it our best go.  Let's not get intimidated by others, but realize we're all out there trying to do the same thing.  We're all trying to progress. 

 ...In return, later that year I gave my brother the new Green Day album.  We still drove to school together and I wanted to listen to it so I disguised it in a gift for him.  Oh gosh-- Selfish!  No wonder I'm in my mid-30s and single and he's been married for 13yrs and has four adorable children, two golden retrievers, and the fenced in yard!