Ready to Start
"Now I'm ready to start - my mind is open wide ...
To step out into the dark - now I'm ready!"
- Arcade Fire, "Ready to Start" (video after post)
Like many other New Year’s revelers, I staggered out of bed in the late morning of January 1st, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes for a few minutes, and tried to piece together exactly how my night ended.
I was out of my head for a little while there … I think I remember doing something kind of crazy. Did I really do what I think I did?
All it took was the first download of e-mail in the morning to confirm it: I had indeed done something a little bit crazy:
Click to enlarge
Hello, 2011 “A” race. Truth be told, it wasn’t much of a shocker that I’d end up on the start line of the Tahoe Rim Trail 100-Miler sometime; I basically fell in love with the course and everybody involved with the race when I was there as a pacer last summer. I knew that I’d be itching to do another 100-miler this year, and it was something of a coin flip between Tahoe and Western States. So when I came up empty in December’s WS lottery, I didn’t really shed any tears – I just looked up the registration date for Tahoe and knew I’d have an equally awesome experience there.
So I guess this means I need to start training now. December is traditionally my slacker month, where I allow myself to sleep in and eat whatever I want and don’t worry about skipping workouts if I feel like it – and when it’s dark and cold and it’s the holiday season and there’s cookies and wine seemingly everywhere I turn, and I happen to be spending an ungodly amount of time conducting some crazy blog giveaway spree, it gets easier and easier to blow off those workouts.
In other words, some things have got to change. The good news is, summer’s still far enough away that I can do a slow build through the winter and spring, and be ready to roll once July comes around again. The other reassurance I have is that I’ve traveled this particular trail before; I’m not exploring uncharted territory here - I’m merely making my way back to some wonderful places I’ve already been.
That doesn’t make the journey any less intimidating, however. The mornings will start darkly, the early training miles will be sluggish, and there will be more than a little bit of self-doubt that creeps in as race day draws closer. But those are other stories for other days. In the meantime, I just need to get myself running - and now I'm ready to start.
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Arcade Fire, "Ready to Start" (click to play):
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One of many breathtaking views on the TRT course last July
So I guess this means I need to start training now. December is traditionally my slacker month, where I allow myself to sleep in and eat whatever I want and don’t worry about skipping workouts if I feel like it – and when it’s dark and cold and it’s the holiday season and there’s cookies and wine seemingly everywhere I turn, and I happen to be spending an ungodly amount of time conducting some crazy blog giveaway spree, it gets easier and easier to blow off those workouts.
In other words, some things have got to change. The good news is, summer’s still far enough away that I can do a slow build through the winter and spring, and be ready to roll once July comes around again. The other reassurance I have is that I’ve traveled this particular trail before; I’m not exploring uncharted territory here - I’m merely making my way back to some wonderful places I’ve already been.
That doesn’t make the journey any less intimidating, however. The mornings will start darkly, the early training miles will be sluggish, and there will be more than a little bit of self-doubt that creeps in as race day draws closer. But those are other stories for other days. In the meantime, I just need to get myself running - and now I'm ready to start.
*
Arcade Fire, "Ready to Start" (click to play):
Get updates as soon as they're posted! Click here to subscribe to Running and Rambling.
Check out the Running Life book for a collection of our most popular columns.
