I have a confession to make. I’m going through Olympics withdrawal. This is probably a feeling many of you share, so I’m sure I’m not saying anything all too crazy. This iteration of the summer games was a bit different for me, however. Since moving to Delaware, I’ve learned a great deal about the track and cross-country aspects of running. This was not an area of running I had ever explored, and it certainly wasn’t something my asthmatic, un-athletic teenage self had ever explored. However, the cross-country and track culture in this part of the country is much stronger than it was in Iowa, and many of my friends did compete at all levels, are still competing, are coaching, or their children are now running. This has meant many wonderful conversations about all aspects of the sport, which coupled with my new-found shoe knowledge courtesy of my part-time job, has increased my knowledge and awareness a great deal. My passion is still MUT running, and that’s still where I see myself competing, but I have an interest and appreciation for these shorter races that I’ve never had before. Thus, I watched on with an increased interest as records fell, dreams came true and were broken, and medals were won around that 400m oval. It was a pleasant reminder that the distance doesn’t matter. The time doesn’t matter. The race doesn’t matter. Running is running, and we are all runners. We share a passion, a dedication, and a culture, and it’s that shared identity that truly defines #chasing42!
Bright sunshine to start the semester!
Chasing42 Log: 20160822- 20160903
Run: It’s been a solid block of running, the #chasing42runstreak is still going strong! The Fall semester started this past week at the University of Delaware, so my schedule has been quite hectic for the past few weeks. I’ve been working in higher education for over a decade now, and I always think I’m prepared for the “New Year” but it seems to sneak up on me anyway. This has been being a bit more flexible with my running, and taking advantage of opportunities when they arise. I’ve been putting in some higher volume weekday totals going into the weekend, and then pushing hard over the weekend as well as I enter my final push before the Grindstone 100. I was able to meet up with a friend from Iowa last weekend and run the MD H.E.A.T. 50K for the second year, and we had a blast! I’ll be posting a report soon, but I can definitely say that my time and energy both saw a significant jump over last year, which I took as a very good sign of things to come! I enjoyed the first cool morning in quite some time today and enjoyed a beautiful run through Brandywine Creek State Park and up into PA with the group. The epicurean and I are heading to Reading, PA tomorrow for the Labor Pain 12-Hour Race, so I’ll be able to knock out some solid miles and test some nutritional strategies as well. Look for a report on that race coming up as well!
New UD Blue Hens participating in the Twilight Ceremony to mark the beginning of their journey!
Thought: In my new position at the University of Delaware, I have the privilege of working with some fantastic colleagues. One piece of my new work environment that has taken me a bit by surprise has been the pleasant focus on work/life balance. I’ve always railed against this push in Student Affairs as an unrealistic vision of a profession that necessitates long hours and hard work. It’s the nature of the beast, and we know what we are getting ourselves into going in. However, as I’ve gotten older and the all-nighters of my youth are a thing of the past, I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about how I can balance all of the priorities in my life. I may still bring work home, read research articles after dinner, and go into the office early to get things done, but it’s a wonderful feeling to know you are in an environment that supports me in all of the areas of my life that are important to me. Did I mention that my supervisor is training for her first marathon, and I’m also loving geeking out over running and helping her as well? It’s all about #chasing42 and I’m living it!