Summer vacation, when we were younger, was a great time to waste away the days, hang out, and maybe run a few miles to get ready for fall cross country. Our high school coach tried to entice us into putting in the miles by offering those who ran 300 miles over the summer a t-shirt. The 300 mile club, if memory serves, was not a t-shirt I ever earned. Heck, I was a middle distance guy!
Even in college, our coach encouraged us to get some miles in during the summer, but run easy. No races. No speed work. He wanted us fresh for the rigors of the season. I don't know that it would have made much of a difference for me, but that's another story.
Times have changed. What used to be a three month break from school, is now a week or so of time away from work. But with four young kids in the Wisconsin Dells, relaxing is not part of the agenda. And getting some miles in was not a luxury, but a challenge! It's the same challenge many of us face during the summer running season.
In our case, the kids were revved up for vacation. They wanted to hit the pool, or the circus, or anything outside of the hotel room as soon as the sun appeared. Taking a break so I could run, as you might guess, was not part of their agenda.
During past summer trips I have had more urgency to my training because I usually have had a fall marathon in mind, so taking a break was not an option. This year, I'm taking skipping the fall marathon. But I still have races planned, and still want to stay in shape.
So, most days, I found myself sacrificing sleep, getting up early and hitting the road before everyone else was up. When I got back it was off to Mt. Olympus or some such place, usually with barely enough time to rinse off. It was fun to spend time with the kids, don't get me wrong. The parks can be fun for adults too. I even got a brief chance to swing a baseball bat in the cages, something I haven't done in years. But this blog is about running, not family life!
I also did start the vacation while we were still in town by running the 4 on the 4th race in Elmhurst. And I got a long run in the next day before hitting the road for the long drive to the Dells. And I don't want to sound like a complainer. The early morning runs in Wisconsin were actually beautiful. I got to run on a hilly, remote road, and got enough miles in to make sure I have no excuses for the upcoming Waterfall Glen 10 miler, or the Rock-N-Roll half marathon after that.
But after getting back from the vacation, I was ready to go back to work. I needed a break.
See you on the roads....
Hey, I was a member of the 300-mile club the summer before my senior year at SHS. It earned me the Most Improved honor from the team. Of course, now, I don't run and I'm working to get back into shape.
Perhaps you were on to something back then, buddy.
Posted by: Bill Skowronnek | July 14, 2009 at 05:56 PM