Friday, February 10, 2012

LONE WOLF: Is running turning me into a loner?


On my run early this morning I did not see a single soul and it got me thinking...


I'm not a huge extrovert when it comes to big social gatherings and all that type of stuff but I do appreciate the company of good friends when doing most of the activities I love. Things like rock climbing, mountaineering, and drinking beer and so on.

But, when it comes to running I find myself ALONE, A LOT. And, oddly, I LIKE IT. Apparently, this isn't all that unusual.

But it's kind of new for me given my recent decision to run more and train for ultras in the near future and beyond. This all came about last summer when came to the realization that I don't have enough free time to climb mountains as a hobby. Running is more accessible and I am in love with it's simplicity, especially when compared to climbing with all it's logistics and spendy doodads. That's another topic...

Back to being a "loner runner"... I run alone mostly because my training schedule is really, really whack. I run at 4:30 in the morning lots of days and on others at 6-7:00 pm when I get home from work. There is no set pattern really I just go when I can and when I WANT to. Why run if there's no want, no zeal, no passion? Again, that's another topic...

I also run alone because of this pace/zone/"zen" thing that it looks like others experience and also mention in the linked article above. I really can't explain it but running through the woods alone gives me some cheap thrill that is hard to put into words. I'll try to figure out how to word it as I experience more and more of it.

Of course running alone has it's downside... see Saturday, Feb. 4th. First of all, I was not near where I said I was going to be, I was a tad lost, I was late, and the trail conditions were perfect for something catastrophic to take place. My mind was racing with thoughts but I think the presence of a friend would have brought some calm. Having said that and looking back on the whole ordeal (which really isn't that big a deal) I was glad I went through it ALONE. And that loner pace/zone/zen feeling that I can't explain was with me the whole time...






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