Remembering the Past

*** warning: this post revels in 'glory days'***

We had dinner with a handful of running knobs on Sat night. Jeff Schiebler had a few people over at his place and cooked us dinner. It was funny as my old teammate and long time friend Dan Bertoia was also there. Jeff's running pedigree is without question, but guys like myself and Dan have known him since he was a high school schmuck and thus we still see him in that light. Whereas guys around his age and younger put him on the 'running pedestal' we tend to tell stories about how we got Jeff served his first beer and other memories when he was...'gulp'.... a young guy. He is now in his mid thirties and I forget how long ago it was when Dan, myself and Warren Barker roomed with Jeff when he was till in high school at a meet. It brings back some memories of a time when life seemed quite difficult, but in reality was pretty simple....

As far as this week and training I have taken the 'Harry Wilson' approach. Wilson was Steve Ovett's advisor/coach and I often refer to his training book as the gospel on how I also view what is important to running. he took an old school approach where you had good buildups and didn't really 'cycle; training, but the one thing I always took away (and use more as I've gotten older) is that from time to time you need a full training break in every sense of the word. This was one of those weeks where I took his belief and used up some rest time.

The good thing is that it really helped me to re-evaluate my training, how it's gone and what I've been doing versus what I have often done in the past. I have gotten somewhat caught up in group dynamics and forcing things at the expense of my own concept of 'what's worked for me'. It's funny how my first real injury and forced break made me forget some my own learned running lessons. In my attempt to add to the group dynamics of our emerging training group I got caught up in the 'hoopla' and realized I need to get back to my basics.