The Monastic Life

I am an all or nothing kind of guy. When I make a commitment to something I am all in right from the start. When I decided that I needed to get back into shape after neglecting and abusing my body for over 10 years I knew that I was going to have to call on my obsessive super-self to be able to reach this big goal. 3 years ago I was a mess. The details are not important, but to return to being a runner took more than just lacing up a pair of shoes and trotting out the door everyday. Being a runner is much like being a monk. The repetition of tasks are like meditation. The early morning runs, strict dietary requirements, grueling track workouts, the yoga, the stretching, the weight lifting, the cross training, the lifestyle, and philosophy of being a runner in many ways becomes a religious experience. And like prayer sometimes you are able to connect and sometimes you feel like they fall on deaf ears. But in the end much in the same way as a newly reformed believer is changed by God, a convert to the monastic life of being a runner will never be the same again. Fast forward to the present day and I have been slowly and carefully building myself back to up what I consider a good starting point. I am in shape again, I am able to handle a halfway decent amount of mileage, I have the drive to work hard, I have figured out how to read my body's signals, I have returned to being a runner. From here the goal spreads out a bit. I am getting closer to 40, and my plan is to work hard to be a halfway decent age grouper as a masters runner. How serious is too serious? I currently believe that even though I am not an elite runner I can slightly modify the volume of an elite training plan and reap the benefits of the elite athlete. I currently peak at 70 miles per week and will continue to build up mileage each spring and fall training cycle until I reach the point where the volume is no longer positively affecting my performance. I love knowing that I can continue to push my mind and body to new heights and that if I continue to faithfully listen to my body, train hard with a clear mind I will reach all of my goals.