On The Road

With the exception of 12 hours on Sunday, I’ve been on the road since Friday…and I’ll be on the road until Thursday...back for two days then on the road again until the following Tuesday. It’s hard to train when you’re on the road, but when you’ve put in the miles and you’re in shape, you can relax a bit and go into “maintain mode“ or more simply run when you can.

I awoke on Saturday (after my race on Friday night) itching for a long slow run. I was staying with my best friend from high school and we went to bed with scotches and brandies on our breath. I awoke a bit dehydrated but chugged the rest of my Gatorade and downed some water. I rolled out the door and found myself on the American Tobacco Trail. The weather was cold (wore gloves and a hat) for North Carolina in March, but soon the sun came out and warmed my spirit. The American Tobacco Trail is similar to the Capital Crescent Trail; a long flat paved bike path with mile markers every quarter mile. Thankfully there was a beaten down dirt path along side the trail and I opted for that to appease my sore calves. After 31 minutes I turned around and ran back. 9 miles. Later I went on a brewery tour with my friend and talked about “life things”. It was great to catch up. At the end of the tour we sipped cold beer in the warm sun and felt like free men (guess the movie and you win a prize).

On Sunday I met Patricks Reaves and Murphy at Ulmstead State Park for a long run in Cary, NC. Reaves‘ friend Liam also joined in the festivities. We ran a nice out-and-back along a rolling dirt road. I felt sluggish and slow on the way out, but when we returned I had a pep in my step. It’s been awhile since I’ve run long with Reaves and I enjoyed pushing it to some degree near the end of the run. We cooled down along a hiking trail and called it 16. My legs felt good. It was my lowest week of mileage since December.

On Monday I traveled to Clinton, Missouri (via Kansas City) to catch paddlefish for a TV program I am working on. After a long day of traveling and organizing for the next day’s shoot, I set out from my hotel for a run sometime after 9:00pm. My tummy was full of Mexican I had eaten 90 minutes before, but I’ve learned how to run through this type of thing. I asked the woman at the front desk where I should go and she pointed towards some neighborhoods. I shrugged my shoulders and obliged. After a mile I found myself at a high school track. I laughed then decided I might as well run a mile. When was the next time I’d see a track? Soon a full moon rose and illuminated the mid-western sky. The moon guided me through quiet suburbia and eventually back to my hotel. I only got in 7, but 7 is better than 0.