A few years ago, I was travelling in Greece and determined to not let it interfere with my marathon training. Out for a long run on an island where I never saw another runner (everyone thought I needed help and that someone was surely chasing me). This little old man - who was about as wide as he was tall and walking with a walking stick - stopped me and chattered to me in Greek. I knew six Greek words, none of them remotely useful in this instance. He kept trying Greek and I kept trying English. He motioned with his arms like a runner and talked and talked while I smiled sheepishly and shrugged. Finally, both of us getting a little frustrated, he said the word we both knew - “marathon.” Suddenly, it was like we spoke the same language. One of my all time favorite training moments.
Christmas day 2002. Drove out to a nearby park for an early morning run before heading over to my folks. It had snowed the night before, and was an absolutely pristine winter morning. I hit the offroad trails, which were covered in about 6 inches of it, but it was lightly packed and relatively easy to run in. I was listening to headphones and happened upon the Nutcracker Suite (don’t normally listen to classical music when I run, but this just seemed perfect). I was out there all alone - in an hour of running I never saw another soul. That was perhaps my favorite all time moment.
Went for my annual New Year’s Day ride (no matter what the weather) with my soon to be wife, another friend and his wife. We rode out of town on our MTBs and climbed up to the top of the hardest hill around. We then hit the trials for about an hour before turning back. On the way back, the fact that we were descending after about an hour and a half of climbing and it was about 8 degrees (F), finally caught up with us (what were we thinking to begin with?). It got so bad I took off my hat and put it down my shorts, thinking that a life without ears is surely better than a life without Mr. Willy. Our lives were saved when we came down the hill into a town that has an active mine fire beneath it, and we spent nearly an hour hugging warm rocks and sticking our hands into hot vents spewing deadly gasses. We looked ridiculous I am sure, but I have all 10 fingers and toes (and Mr. Willy and my ears), so it was worth the embarrassment. My mom asked me what I did for new years, and it was all I could to to keep from saying than I humped rocks and stuck my limbs into holes that smelled like shit.
I’ve had some great trail runs, by myself, in soft winter light and the hills of Northern California. But this weekend I had an exceptional training moment. I was on the tail end of my biggest brick of the year. I wanted to check my endurance for Keahou which will be my first half. I had finished a long hard climb to the top of a local mountain, a long hard trail run, and was riding home with a backpack full of running gear. I had been moving for about 4.5 hours and had one big climb left to get me out of a local valley and into a flat, fast cruise home. It was sunny and I was on a rode with twice as many cyclists as cars (I saw 2 or 3 cars). As I progressed up the final climb I could see hills and lush spring trees in every direction, all surrounding a beautiful local lake far below. It was sunny outside and the sky was littered with benevolent clouds. It was very quiet and still. I had been releasing endorphins for so long, and I was so tired I wasn’t sure if I was going to pass out or float away. My whole body just felt euphoric, and I knew that all the hard hours I had put in over the course of the past year were paying off. That I was ready for KKT, and that I had begun to accomplish my goals.
I tried to explain to my friends at lunch, and they smiled, but I could tell they didn’t get it. Absolute personal confirmation why I have come to love this sport.
is that centralia you are talking about with the mine fire? I went through that town more times than I can count, mostly driving, but a few times cycling. man, if it is centralia, i am wondering if you still smell! There’s a reason (besides houses collapsing into the ground) that it is now a ghost town. rotten eggs anyone?
Actually I have trained on Rt 42 through Centrailia and Aristes, and I can attest, but the mine fire I speak of is right up the road in Georgetown, maybe 40 miles away from Centralia. It is at the base of a hill called Giants Despair west of downtown Wilkes Barre. “Mountain’s a’ smokin’ outside Shamokin” is Centrailia
I did have another day today which reminded me of why I love to train, and love the area I live in (not the coal mine fire part, but where I live now, about 20 miles west of there in the mountains.). I was running on a trail about 2 miles from home when I came upon a bunch of turkeys picking through a clearing. I stopped to watch them, and amazingly they glanced at me then kept right on scratching the ground. I watched a male strutting and trying to impress his women, and having no such luck, I watched him strut right over to a little pond on the edge of this field and start his routine for a bunch of geese! After about 2 minutes and alot of honking, he gave up. “This guy has an open mind” was the thought that came to my head. I had to tiptoe away so as not to disturb the whole scene. It definitely made me forget about the stress and B.S. of the day
this weekend I was biking home from a workout and passed two gents. Next thing I know one of them passes me and the other one pulls alongside
“yeah, he just turned 74, and I told him ‘we must be getting old, we keep getting passed’ hahaha. I’m 71.”
I was shocked and humbled. My dad just hit his 70’s and barely keeps up walking with my mom grocery shopping. Needless to say the experience left a big smile on my face the whole day and I hope I can keep on cycling at that age - riding very expensive looking carbon marinonis…
Any day on the bike, when a “rabbit” appears up front that I get to chase and pass!!! Then you pass so fast that the guy won’t even think about chasing or hooking on! You defeat him mentally in a heart beat!
I agree with Rocketman, although having someone try to keep up is even more fun. I was messing around for a while last week, going casually 20-22mph into gusty 10-20mph xwind/headwinds and a geeked-out guy with matching helmet, jersey, shorts, shoes and bike comes out of a side street just behind me…and latched onto my rear wheel without even saying hi. So I dropped onto the aero bars and jumped to 30mph. About a mile later I looked back and he was at least 150 yards back and fading fast. I laughed and finished my last 3 miles at 28mph. Rabbits and wheelsuckers are so much fun sometimes.
Ive had quite a few wonderful training moments but Ill just mention one for now. It has been a number of years ago but I was running along an access road next to some train tracks that are near my house that run through the woods for a couple of miles. Im all by myself when I hear the sound of something coming up behind me and I think “great, probably some dog coming to chew my leg off!” when I turn to look back a small fawn very curiously prances up next to me and begins to run with me for probably an 1/8 of a mile! I reached down and touched it and then it bounced off into the trees. It all was very surreal.
You know that cool/fresh/weird smell of chlorine when you do a first start to sweat out the water from the pool during brick…That makes it all worth while.
