Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures out there today! Summer is in full swing, albeit not officially here yet, and that means each passing weekend is precious and filled with possibilities. Last weekend, that meant an adventure to western Pennsylvania for the Laurel Highlands 70.5, and this weekend was filled with yard work and other tasky endeavors. Not every weekend can be filled with excitement, right?
Chasing42 Log: 20170605- 20170618
Run: Last weekend, as I was ticking off the miles and chasing the sun and the clock during the Laurel Highlands 70.5 Ultra, I was struck with two competing thoughts. On the one hand, I clearly wanted to finish as quickly as possible (and certainly under the 20-hour threshold for it to count as a WS qualifier). On the other hand, I knew that If I finished after midnight, then I would have my Sunday run completed and be able to take an even longer break and still keep my streak alive 🙂 Alas, I made really good time and finished around 11:30PM. I logged a few hours of sleep in the car, and made the journey back home early Sunday morning to a much anticipated shower. It was a hot afternoon, but I still laced up my shoes for a slow mile around the block, and I kept my streak going. This past week has been all about recovery and intentionally not pushing my legs any harder than comfort would allow. I managed a solid longer run yesterday, and went swimming in the humidity today, but enjoyed every minute of my time on the trails. I’m certainly not fully acclimated to the heat and humidity yet, but it will come. In the meantime, I’ll keep pressing on and enjoying myself and my training!
An incredible rainbow during a relaxing weekend.
Thought: My father isn’t a runner. To the best of knowledge, he never was a runner, despite being built like a marathoner in the purest sense. However, from a very early age, he instilled in me the benefits of hard work and the importance of pursuing your dreams. He encouraged me to explore my interests, no matter how far fetched they might have been. I could have easily told him I wanted to run a marathon as a child, and he would have supported me and then asked me “what’s next?”. Anyone who has run an ultra-marathon of any kind has probably had some version of the “that’s crazy” conversation with a friend or family member. That’s simply not a response I ever received from my father. Instead, he’s always been nothing but supportive, encouraging, and proud of each and every one of my accomplishments, running or otherwise. It takes someone special to recognize a unique set of interests and never deviate from supporting someone as the chase their dreams, and my father continues to be that person. He taught me what chasing42 meant before I even had the words to describe it, and I continue to be thankful every day for his presence in my life!
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