Run more talk less: Running come-back

If anything, running in 2020 has been amazing! Not 2005 amazing, or 2013, but after 7 years of wishy-washy I jog-I walk-I run a bit-repeat and feeling like crap, the damn pandemic brought me some awesome running. At the beginning of the year I had a number of resolutions - yes, I still make them, mock me all you want. I love it. It gives me focus and goals. So, one of them was to attempt another running streak. Just because. I tried it in that 2013, and made it all the way to my birthday on October 9th, but with the Overtraining Fatigue stuff sort of was done. The idea is to run 2 continuous miles. I accounted for the days I will be skiing, or injured, or traveling - I am not a complete idiot who decides "at all costs" is a lifestyle. At all, but, sort of thing, is good enough. If I have to be at the airport before 6 am, then it's a powerwalk on the concourse for 2 miles. Or if I am injured (like twice after my unsuccessful attempts at CPL FKT). In January I tried doing 2 miles prior our skiing day, then I tried to do it after, but eventually realized it's dumb, and now downhill skiing is a substitute for runs in its own right. 3 hrs downhill equals 4 miles. 5 hrs (that excludes breaks, by the way) - 7 miles. Works in my mind.

So far it's been going pretty darn well, and I managed to churn in miles even when it seemed I wouldn't be able to. Considering it is December 16th, I see no reason to drop it for 2020, and in fact plan to keep it for the year to come. As of right now I am at 3086 miles - far above the goal of 2020 (of course, ha), and on par with some good years of running behind me.

So how did it go for me from January to now? Progressive, uplifting, soothing, calming my soul, teaching me new heights, and simply pure love.

It had a relatively slow start, exactly why I needed a streak. I plowed through the cold streets and skied a bunch on the weekends. And then - after a trip to Russia in the second week of March - the China Virus showed up. And my job got shut down, along with many other jobs and amenities. I was pissed. I was livid. I was, believe it or not, also pretty sick - Covid or not, I don't give a shit, but I ran a fever for a couple of days upon my return from Moscow (flying via Frankfurt) and coughed a bunch of crap for a couple of weeks. I guess good thing I got kicked off work, huh? But, being pissed and even depressed with being denied things against my medical and scientific knowledge and allowing general paranoia sweep the world, running is exactly what I turned to. Plus, I now had so much free time on my hands.

And so I ran. Twice a day. My dark cold morning streets, and then trails. Mountains. More of it running and less hiking. Getting faster, both on those streets and trails in the mountains. Getting longer runs, snow or not. From the last-few-years standard of 35 miles a week I went straight to 55-75-85 and then ran 100 for 3 weeks in a row. And I survived. Not only, I was still getting faster and stronger. My work opened up by the end of April (5 weeks, good stuff for my state and being all essential and shit), but I didn't give up the miles. I was still putting down upper 90's (my highest week was 106, something I don't even remember last time I did) and loving every minute of it. May brought me to the first Pikes Peak ascend, snow and all, and despite Incline getting closed, I (alone with a number of locals) kept cranking those some days before sunrise. Because, you know, goals. Who cares about stupid regulations when outside is where we all need to be, and I had to bang of 5 Pikes Peak and 20 Inclines for the year?

It was a pure joy, leading all the way into July. I haven't experienced such running high in a long long time, and oh, how I wished I could race something! I began dreaming, again. Not a come-back to what I used to be, but a becoming a new me. It was wonderful. If only stupid virus and its fear didn't close the races...

July came with the second attempt at the Collegiates loop. There was a brief description about it in the FKT post, but in a nutshell, between horrific blisters and the usual after such things general adrenal fatigue, running stalled. It recovered in two weeks or so, but then I decided for a third attempt - and threw my back really, really bad. 2 weeks was spent in pain and walk-shuffle to keep the streak alive. In fact, I wasn't sure how will I pull off a much more mild backpacking trip Larry and I planned together in Wyoming's Wind Rivers. But miraculously, I healed up on the first day of our hike. Go figure. I, literally, felt the back improving as the miles rolled. And upon return home, I ran some more, gingerly, and then went back to Collegiates - now a full success followed me there. It was magical, easy in a way, and justified my single-minded obsession over it.

I recovered slowly in terms of blah feeling, and by October was back to running pretty well. Not May-June well, but giving me hope for the future well enough. I even participated in a short local race, and while there's no way I'll ever place in a sub-ultra run among local elites (or anybody, for that matter), it was a great feeling to line up and smash my own estimates on the finishing time.

Now, full into the winter again, I am running, and it's going well. I am not pushing any limits at this point, yet I am building a strong base for the next year. Because, of course, I have goals. I will simply include here "Come back to racing" motto, as it doesn't have much to expand on. Of notable mentioning, I have a credit to use with Mad Moose events, With Ganr Runners, and a credit with Aravaipa running company, as well as tentatively hoping to bring the REAL number of finished 100's to 20. There's a local race that is planned to be held for the first time, and it could be something I might be interested in. Fingers crossed, they all actually have races next year.

I'll throw a few photos here for fun. I did do 5 Pikes Peaks (last one on my late Father's birthday, on October 23rd), and rolled over 20 Inclines with 23 (hoping for one more). It's been an incredibly gifted year of running for me, and for that I am so grateful.