I went for a run this morning in my new Mighty Marmot PikespeakSports.us shirt and I was not struck by lightning! Tim and company made a great selection of a wide variety of runners all dedicated to running the Triple Crown series. Make sure to read their blogs. I just did and learned from them.

While jumping over puddles and trying to avoid the muddier sections of trail in Monument Valley Park I passed a fellow runner near and dear to my heart. A year ago yesterday I had surgery on my broken collarbone after taking a hard fall on Barr Trail. Chris, a complete stranger, saw I was hurting, got a sling on me, and walked me 6 miles down the mountain and drove me home. Turns out he only lives a couple blocks away from me and I have had the opportunity to see him multiple times over the last year as I recovered from the surgery. He exemplifies why Colorado Springs is such a great place to live and run. Every runner probably has his or her own version of Chris. For some, it might be a training partner, for others, a stranger who says hi as they pass, but does so in a way that you know they are an integral part of the community.  I love to run with people but enjoy being on my own. I love to run in the rain, but would rather run on a cool, clear morning. I find I don’t have to look for joy, It's waiting on the trail every day.

At my age I long ago gave up the idea of winning anything. Now if I manage an age group award I’m happy, but often only a few of us do all the races in a series so attrition plays a big part. I’m often asked how long I’ve been a runner. Since I think running is a state of mind, not of being, I can honestly say I’ve been a runner all my life, though I haven’t run all that time. I love to run, I love to help other runners become better (notice I didn’t say faster) but I haven’t had any formal running training since my senior year in high school, and that was a long time ago.

I get most of my advice from John O'Neill at the Colorado Running Company. John and his knowledge of running and of aging runners has seen me through every race in the last 10 years. 

My goals for the Triple Crown are pretty simple. Finish the races vertically. Life becomes relatively easy with that goal. I’ll be blogging about how I’ve found joy in running even on these cold dreary days. As an educator, I’m always teaching, so here is my advice for the Garden, run on pavement a couple times a week. Get your feet and legs used to it.  Do your speed workouts on pavement. I recently ran a road marathon and did most of my long runs on pavement. I had no issues at all with legs or feet. I had a lifetime PR. I guess it worked.