Run For Fun In The Sun

It is currently 52 degrees and sunny out, and I could not possibly be happier.  Spring running is the best kind of running.  It's refreshing to be able to run in shorts and tank tops again, and all of the favorite trails open back up after being buried in snow for the last five months.  And there's just something energizing about having the sun on your skin while you're out and about trying to get a workout in.  And you don't have to resort to treadmill workouts anymore.  And outdoor track season starts.  Cross country is fun, but every meet feels like it's over so quickly.  You look forward to it for weeks and in less than three hours, you have to turn around and go home.  But with outdoor track, you typically get a full day (or even two) to spend time stressing about your races, seeing friends from other teams, meeting new people, and eating dry bagels and pasta.  And you get mad sports bra tan lines.

The workouts also feel more official.  During training for most of cross country season, my team does their intervals on the grass, since that's what races are on.  Running 6x800m repeats on a track seems redundant and pointless on a track during cross country, especially when we have an 800m grass loop available that doesn't abuse our hips nearly so much.  When I'm in cross country season, I love doing my workouts on that loop.  But as soon as track season makes it's appearance, I am eager to get back out on the track.  Running workouts on a treadmill in the dead of winter is so mentally difficult, especially with the tantalizing prospect of spring right around the corner.  Plus I get sweaty on treadmill runs.  Like really sweaty.

And if you're foolish (or adventurous) enough to hit the trails the second the snow starts melting, you come out with stories to tell your friends later and a refreshing mud mask for your legs.  You'll have to sacrifice the purity of your Nikes, though.

But hey, I think a little mud on the shoes and a lot of uphill running is well worth a view like this.  Training in Park City is the best.  And when I'm running here, my work becomes my play as well, which is how I think it should always be.  If you don't enjoy what you're doing, it's just not worth it, regardless of how well you do it.

Also, my first outdoor meet is next Saturday.  I'm probably only doing about four meets this season, unless I qualify for the post-season meets that I'm hoping to.  I'll be starting with the Chandler Rotary Invitational in Arizona, which should be tons of fun.  Several of my NXN Southwest teammates are also going, and it should be a very competitive race and an even better weekend.  After that, I won't race again for about a month, when I'll do the Mt. Sac mile at the relays in California.  That's actually the same race that I ran my mile PR at sophomore year, so I'm really hoping to do well there.  The only two Utah meets I'll be doing are the BYU Invitational and the state meet.  I'm aiming to get my mile time down, as well as place well at some more competitive meets, since my goal is to qualify for the Dream Mile.  (Possibly the Brooks PR invite as well.)  They're some pretty big expectations, but I honestly think that if I can get through this season without injury, death, or some other natural disaster, I can meet them.

Wish me luck!