Note
Rambling Thoughts for the Day:
I think I am ready for summer to be over, ready to say goodbye to spider webs, stinging yellowjackets, poison ivy, and difficult workouts in the hot humid weather. Luckily today feels like the wind has changed direction and Fall is on the horizon!
AP is amazing. I've been looking back at my log and remembering days, months of my life when things were really difficult, when I was going back and forth between Boston and Philly, had a stressful job (well all jobs are stressful,) was unhealthy and overweight and trying to be healthy. AP and Orienteering really contributed to me getting somewhere, along with many well-meaning friends and family members being supportive along the way.
Now that I have "gotten somewhere," meaning, I achieved many of my personal goals, it feels strange to be at the plateau where I've been for a while. When I look back at some of the workouts I was doing in the winter, I wonder why I'm not able to do what I was doing then, 6-7 miles at a decent pace on trails. Maybe the heat is part of it; I know for certain that having a job especially during this year of the Open put a kink into some of my training goals.
I think another part of the plateau feeling is that I need to continue to try new things - that is what felt so triumphant about the upward trajectory of the last year and a half. There were so many amazing firsts in a relatively short period of time -- the first time I did an Orange course. The first time I went to a TNT. The first time I hiked with Sandy at Hickory Run in the snow. The first time I wore a headlamp and ran at night (haven't done this in a while!) The first time I ever ran 4 miles in a row...5 miles...6 miles. The first time I ever did under 10 min/mile. The first advanced O course I ever did. The first time I wore my Garmin watch ;) The first time I competed at HR..FC, you name it. My first A event. The first time I event-directed (should do that more!) And many many more.
Now I have to go back and try to hit some of those "first times" again (4 miles in a row jogging...5 miles...6 miles...under 10min/mile, etc.) but still have it be as inspiring and fun as the actual first time, and create more first times too. Not just with training and O, obviously - and I have been playing music again which makes me very happy. (Time to do an Open Mic night soon...)
Keeping things fresh and moving forward is important to me: just going to new places to run is one idea. Doing the 5k is another. Other "new things" I could try would be to be learn more about map making and course setting. All with the goal that these things will me a better orienteer. There are a lot of other training exercises I could be doing, but that would be much better with another person or people. Maybe we can integrate some more actual orienteering or exercises into our TNTs?...and I will also look forward to Hickory Run Training.
What are some other new things should I try? How do you keep it fresh? (Of course, every O event I try to do better, that goes without saying.) Rogaine? Camping? Hiking the AT like Tom does? I really want my life partner to want to do these things with me...but he doesn't. Yet, anyway ;)
And then there is the idea that I should learn to set realistic goals for myself, given the balancing act of life. But I don't have kids, I have a pretty straightforward life and I should be able to do more with it. I feel mostly happy but always, a drive to do more with what I have been given.