Halfway Through The Race Season Already? And What’s Next?

Seems a little unreal, actually, but here it is, early February, and I am planning March, April, May, and June (it’s too hot to race in July and August here).

Except for a small issue involving a strained knee ligament (and with runners, almost all issues are small, even when they aren’t), it’s been a decent season. I aged up to the next group. This is nice because it is a reminder that I have yet again, outlived more people who are not competing. I am not the oldest person in most races, but I am getting up there. Getting more podiums is nice, but it’s a matter of staying power now, not necessarily getting faster.

I’ve tried to mix it up, with trail races and new places, including a race in a predominantly Spanish-speaking city (the race directions were given in Spanish, but it turns out my high school Spanish was decent enough to understand them). It’s a different experience, but the running community is pretty much the same nice people no matter where you are. I am going back next month, with plans to stop at a Venezuelan bakery near the race venue. A race next week will include a post-race stop at a coffeehouse I learned about at a trail race yesterday. Swim meet in two weeks? A stagger through a family-owned gourmet grocery market that is packed with delicacies from every country (note to self: bring an extra cooler that weekend). A destination wedding in October will include hill trails and food stops. I made up these two lists right after I made my hotel reservation. It’s a great idea to pair doing what you love with something else you love; in my case, competing and good, new food and beverages. It’s not a kill-two-birds-with-one-stone type of thing. It’s more about greater enjoyment of the moment.

I have been thinking about taking this pairing to a new level and doing this with pictures. I always said I’d never use my phone for stuff like this, but I may reconsider because it’s a fun idea, not because of fame, money, or influencer points to be scored.

I’ll take a notepad along at my coffeehouse stop next week and see how this goes.