Something New?

"Well lets just go to the store" "Right now?" "Yeah why not, get you some new shoes"
     Well Tay did get new shoes, but I walked out with my first pair of micro-spikes. My new weapons, chain and spikes just to get me off of the road. I have been dying lately. Every day I get up and run, with out complaining, and I enjoy it immensely. But every day, road, road, road, 200 meters of trail, road, road and more road. Today was different though. I have been thinking about the micro-spikes for a while now, but have shied away because of the price tag, well I jumped and I will never hesitate again. The micro-spikes are amazing. I ran almost completely on the trails today. If it wasn't for practice and a race on Saturday I would still probably be out there.
    People run for many different reason. Even with in teams and running groups every one has their own reason for running. Some to stay in shape, or get in shape. For many its to race and run fast. Others its for the comradery. For a few its purely about being out in nature enjoying the actual act of running and being away from everything else. For me running is that of the later. I love to be outside, and I love running. Why would I want to do something I love so much in a situation I don't love as much as the action. This is why I am a TRAIL runner. There is no place I enjoy running more than on a single track trail winding through the woods in the mountains. Something about being out away from the town and people, just you and the woods doing something as basic as running is a huge enjoyment for me.
     Today was one of these days. I have been longing for a way to get on the trails and the micro-spikes gave it to me. I had to FORCE myself to turn around and end my run today. I was running so smooth and effortlessly over the ice, cranking through corners and rolling down the hills. It was everything in a run that I have been looking for, and has now opened up doors for me to continue to do such runs. I now have a way to get to the top of Mt. Sentinel again which has been starring me down for the last three weeks asking my what I'm doing on the pavement.
     In the last three weeks I have been running a lot though. My mileage and work outs are finally at a balance that I am happy about, and it is keeping my motivation and drive higher than it has ever been during a college season. Last week my mileage was 91 miles. 91 MILES! This week is JUST as high! It's awesome. High mileage is such an odd thing. Even the thought of a low day begins to wear on my mind and bring my morale down, where even just the thought of a 12 mile trail run can carry me for a week of high spirits. I have not dipped under 10 miles in two weeks now and it seems to be the magic number. 10 miles. 70 ish minutes. Something about that double digit figure going into the log every day keeps me in a place that I know I need to get back out there and do at least that much again the next day. Yeah its a lot, yeah its "unorthodox," but this shit works. No one else on the team is running 90 mile weeks, but yet they aren't much ahead of me in races, no more than they were in cross country (less actually.)
     The biggest thing for me though is that I want to be here, I want to race and I want to run as a Grizzly again. I'm doing things different this spring, doing something no one else is doing, and it appears to be working. If it doesn't work physically, it sure is mentally. I know no one really reads this, but if you do, try it. Try running more than anyone thinks you should, or you can. 70 miles a week, sounds like a lot but its really barely over an hour a day, and damn it feels better than 50 minutes a day!