The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living

August was here, now it's there. The Dog Days of Summer have finally passed, but temperatures still sore over 90 degrees here in Southern Ohio. This is seemingly the last hot week of the year. Everyone will be glad when the chill air comes over the valley. In this time of hopeful season change, I find myself in my senior year of running at Shawnee. I can't help to examine what I have did in the past and examine what I will doing in the future. Change has been exciting to me in all aspects of life. I have lived in four different houses in four years of college, never able to get a real place that I felt comfortable. The place I live now is about as content as I have been, but still its not right. Is solitude what I'm searching for?

Thinking about the past four years of running is so intriguing. I am realizing that everything is the last of something. For instance, Monday was the 8th 3 x 2 mile workout of my life, and last. 3 x 2 miles is just special, I have had some of my best workouts in that thing. There will never be another Hangover 5 Mile Time Trial, 20 x 400 meter repeats, Alumni 5K, Shawnee State Invite, no Eric Putnam inspiring me step after step........ Of course, I could always come back and do these things with the team. But, it will never be the same. I won't be a college runner anymore, I won't have the same emotions, and it won't ever mean what it does now. I won't have Nationals to train for.....

So, consequently, I'll find myself seeking these emotions elsewhere, alone. Ultra running will fill that gap, halfway at least. All in all though, I will never be apart of that ever so connected Shawnee State Bears team.

I feel weird talking about this right now, with an entire season ahead of me. But, on this 4th day before the first meet of the year, I am thinking about it. Senior emotions are something different, let me tell you.

All of this derived, somehow, from me thinking about the month of August. I don't even know how that happened.......

In the month, I have ran a good amount of mileage, started doing workouts, raced a couple of times, started school, met some new friends, and had a great time with everyone I have been in contact with. I am in the middle of my 9th week of 100+ miles, hitting 111 last week, and feeling stronger than ever. Last year I was doing 20 mile long runs on Sundays, only to be taking a really light day somewhere in the week. This year, my longest runs are 18 milers with a mid week day of 15 or 16 miles. The other days I just aim to get around 15 miles (two runs usually), with Monday usually being 18 total in two runs. I usually take a day to do 10 or 12 only, making it my "light" day. That's only a short version of my made up madness.

August Miles= 481 (avg. of 15.5 a day)

August Time on Feet= 57:51:53

Run On

WMO