Redo, Renew, Restart?

Writing, Running, and redoing things, AGAIN.

      A new branch of paved run/bike trail recently opened up by me and I am weirdly excited about it.

      The map of paved trails by me is a lovely mess of half complete projects. You can almost see how they will (and won’t) tie together. Some are going across the state from Boston to Northampton. Some are part of the dream Maine to Florida Trail. Others are just whatever the local municipality could get put together. Some are so old you can see very out of date graffiti on the google street views. Others are so new they aren’t even on any map yet.

      The part I used this weekend was the latter. In fact there is still a massive piece of construction equipment on the trail that can barely fit one biker or runner past. It is fun to explore new areas and make new memories. The old trail is wonderful, but I know it backward and forward. I could probably run it blindfolded if needed. I still love it, but it can get stale. Knowing the milage spots is great, but sometimes you need something new as a runner.

      The new segment is long, from a runner’s point of view. Combined with the old section, it is nearly a half marathon long. My runs this weekend, thanks to an ever changing training plan, were not long enough to fully explore it. And thanks to the lack of maps coverage, it is tough to get to the end and backtrack. I think I know how far it goes, but not enough to drive around forever trying to find out.

      The training plan changed. It’s changed at least twice so far. Am I indecisive? No. Is my Sister-in-law? No. She's just always thinking about it. It can be helpful to think about running when not running. Analyzing, planning, plotting, and just keeping it in your head. That way when run day comes you are a bit more mentally prepared. Normally I run the upcoming races with my wife and her sister. But my wife is out this year. Normally they change the training plan a lot more often. Going back and forth in ways only they can. This time though, my SIL is right. More overall mileage but a longest run that is much shorter is the better way for us to go.

      As much as I hate saying it, I am an experienced runner. And this will be my second marathon. The plan we were working on was definitely for beginners. Giving a beginner runner a 26 mile training run may seem silly, but it gives them a decent simulation of race day. They know they can do it because they did it. It is ugly, but effective. Instead, we will be running more overall miles. With more back-to-backs. Side Note: I’m training for Dopey, four races in four days. More later, but back-to-backs are important. The overall total miles are also important. Being physically ready is how I can best be mentally ready.

      So with a new plan, a new trail, and a new drive to write I am off to see what I am capable of. Again, I make no promises on this journey. The goal is to put the work in and grind out the miles and the words. Left, right, repeat.

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