Reality Guru Says
In case you haven’t noticed lately, the humans on this squad are fit! The time has finally arrived where the temperatures have dropped to that perfect degree of awesomeness. Without a doubt, there is a lot to be said for putting in summer miles, because your mind and body will appreciate October all that much more. The harder efforts feel easier and those times drop like my interest in a 60 year old grouch’s daily blog. I’m sure many of us have felt this first hand in recent races, workouts, or long runs. Ask Tessa Stoltenburg and Johnny Rutford what temps in the low to mid 40’s feel like on race day. More than likely they would respond with, “Well, just look at the results!”
In reality, most of us understand that we will never sign professional contracts in running. That’s fine. We strive to pursue different goals in this sport, which feels more like a lifestyle. Our times matter to us, whether it’s a race, or a workout. However, ask us about splits or times years after the fact, and we probably would not venture to bring those up. In reality, we would probably rather discuss inside jokes, race experiences, or what’s going on in our personal lives. That’s fine, too. In reality, our interactions with each other, be it in races or at 5:00 a.m. on the Lincoln streets, hold so much importance with our contentment with life. Just think for a moment about the last several people from our team you ran with. Now, think about those people having never arrived in your life. Feels weird, doesn’t it. That’s fine as well. It’s supposed to feel weird, because those people you thought about play a much more positive role in your life than you probably realize.
In reality, we are all on our own individual missions as runners. We strive for different performance goals at different races. Just be damn sure that the race is USATF certified! God forbid you piss off a baby boomer for not running a “real” race. In reality, the mission we are in the middle of serves to spread the love of running, and the joy of healthy living across our state. I love nothing more than seeing people, new to running, discuss how much happier they feel. They bring up the physical and mental satisfaction that comes with moving your body often. It helps us experienced runners from having to explain, “Why the hell do you do what you do?” In reality, you have to push your brain and body to limits that will continuously surprise you. I guarantee you that every member of this team has had at least a few moments of, “Did I just really accomplish that?”
I’m stoked to toe that Halfsy starting line with you tough SOB’s in a couple weeks!
Nolan Zimmer
