Do I ever keep my promise to myself?

Sometimes...but since I sat on my butt all day Sunday, and while at it, spent lots of time on grocery shopping-cooking-friend visiting-cleaning-xmas tree packing...and felt very energized for the first time in a week (well, I did fall on bed exhausted at night), I decide to go for a spin class. I got my "hope you are not running" phone calls and emails, honestly answered "I am not" and off I was...and with trepidation I changed into bike shorts and shoes, put a bottle of water and a towel on a rack, the music started....It was one of my best performances in class, at least I thought so. Pumped up, I went to lift some weights and do a new ab routine that left me sore for 3 days after my personal trainer showed it to me. Then I religiously set in the sauna for 20 min and stretched. Agh, I am back...and if you're trying to reason me into more rest, my coach said go back to schedule on Tuesday, but this Tuesday was a planned day off, so I switched to Monday. Not that I am taking off tomorrow - I'll switch with Wednesday, but then again, she said to run on Friday, but I'll be on the plane, and then on a ferry, and then checking in a hotel and picking up my race packet...Anyway, I rescheduled the schedule, and that is it, and it feels right, and I am getting somewhat competitive. I even worked on my race chart prediction (I always do, ask Rob, I am paranoid, but - I am always on the spot at every aid station). As usual, there are 3 goals for the race (and no, "to finish" doesn't cut it anymore, unfortunately): 2 of finishing times and 1 of finishing placing. I am trying to figure out if I have to reconsider those due to been sick for a week and losing strength, but I'll decide on it by Friday. I know someone I should be following will be at the race, so part of work of not getting lost and keeping even pace will be divided in half. She is really good at pacing and done Avalon 50 at least twice (in the same time). The weather prediction is for 65F and partly cloudy - keep your fingers crossed, it's perfect! My friend who planned to go with me is even sicker than I was, so if he does indeed go, he might stick around and run my pace (he is like...much faster). I need to pack and charge my I-Pod...can you say I am getting excited?
On another not, I went to high school today to meet with a track coach, and he is a sweetheart. He knows what WS100 is, and a couple of local ultra guys (who are also fast...). He is also a friend of my chiropractor, who is my friend as well and who runs with local x-country team kids on their off-days, so we had a ton to talk about. I explained to him that I once raced 800m (my proposed team is middle-distance, ha!, say it again, middle distance of 800m, as in meters), and my time was 2:57. That was also 3 years ago. The thing is, the coach has to run with the kids. At the track, for the workouts. If I have a really good day, I could pull 3:30 800s, may be 5 of them. Or 4:20 1000s (at least I did before WS100 last summer). That would be the slowest group here...what he said is no problemo, he's got teens that slow (hmmm, that sounds very...encouraging). However, he is in awe at the distances I do (Coach: "On the weekend I do a long run of 6-9 miles", I: "Cool!! Change it to hrs, and we are set!" It's a joke) and we seemed to have a mutual attraction. He will give me a call tomorrow after he talks to other applicants. I assured him that kids' interest should be priority, and if someone be is better qualified (he said he had interviewed dorks worse than me), than I'd be willing to volunteer and learn the basics anyways. I am so psyched and scared of this opportunity!!! The closest I ever came was teaching Bikram yoga for 2 years in NY as a side job (passion more, but it was 4-6 classes a week, and I absolutely loved it!).
OK, that would be it for today...no, I promised a few passages from the book of Dr. George Sheehan.
Wisdom is meaningless unless our own experience gives it meaning.
When I began running, I rewrote mi life story. It has become a biography of pain. I have made a career of suffering...I developed every runner's injury in a books, and some that weren't.
US is the best place to be if you’re sick - but one of the last places to be if you wish to remain well.
You should never do anything merely because it is good for you...Long distance runners...develop contemplation on solitary runs, art of conversation on a run with a friend, sense of community, agony and relaxation for the race, and maximum physical capabilities, helping find maximum spiritual and intellectual potential.
Play is the key. We all love to play. We should be in sports not because they are practical, but because they are not., not because we feel better but because we don't care how we feel, not to increase fitness but because we're so interested we don't even notice.
A man of world of brilliant words...life or running.