I wrote a wistful blog a few weeks back lamenting the end of the running season.  My pensive mood was brought on more I think by the end of an agenda, the dearth of training goals, than by the lack of events.  Of course, in Colorado, I could easily schedule events throughout the year.  If I want to run a marathon in January, I could afford to book a trip to Houston.  But there are other activities to excite me.  My buddy Rob has scheduled a couple of camping trips to hike the new 80 mile Collegiates Loop on the Colorado Trail.  And he’s hell-bent on teaching me survival skills with some winter camping.  Not sure about blogging from a snow cave, but I am so ready for October and some fall hiking.  And let’s not forget snow shoeing.

These pictures capture my favorite event of this summer with Ellie’s participation in an IronKid’s Triathlon.  It’s such a kick to see your kid competing in sport.  Triathlons are over-the-top with their three distinct events.  There’s no lack of drama.  I don’t know what had me more nervous; Ellie finishing or her bike tire exploding because I failed to properly inflate the tube.  Ellie is totally into triathlons and wants to train more seriously for next season.  I can make that happen.  I plan to get her on a swim team in the winter and spring.  That’s the sport where a base level of form is required to compete comfortably and effectively.  Next I would say she needs to learn how to bike faster.  At her age, running comes down the most to natural ability.  It’s fair to say though for any of the events, your muscles need to be trained to go fast.  It’s more about enjoyment at her age, but training counts.

 

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It was hard for me to pick the best run pic.  There’s a good one of Ellie out-running some boys, but this photo captures both her feet off the ground.  I always go for airborne.  With school started, Ellie is now on her first ever volleyball team.  Really her first ever team sport.  Middle school and team sports sort of go hand in hand.  The social aspect is there with a mix of behavioral discipline.  She’s into volleyball and should have the height to succeed – at least through 8th grade.

It’ll be interesting to see which sport, if any, Ellie takes to during her adolescence.  Team sports are more difficult to keep active in as you age.  And one can only go so far in baton twirling.  Running has to be the most portable sport ever.  I feel like I got lucky making the commitment to distance running in high school.  It was a tough decision to quit football, because I really love that sport.  Having a distance runner’s body type though made that the right decision.  I can’t determine yet any affinities between Ellie’s body type and specific sports.  Brit was clearly aligned with softball or swimming because she had broad shoulders and large hands.  I still remember the softball game when Brit, playing 3rd base, threw out a girl running to 1st base.  The coach made her a pitcher after that game.  Brit didn’t stick with softball, but she liked it and had the physical abilities for that sport.  Brit running Cross Country in High School is a big factor that got me running again.
Wistfulness isn’t the proper description for my current state at the end of my planned running season.  The Boulder Flood resulted in my mountain relay being cancelled last weekend along with the delay of next weekend’s marathon.  September has been a runner’s purgatory.  Ever defiant, I am rounding up my relay team to run Georgia Pass this weekend.  That would have been the highlight leg of my relay last weekend – a 12.5 mile trail run over a 12,000 foot pass.  I fully expect the Boulder Marathon to be run in October.  The fall colors will be that much more vivid.  I just need to keep up my distance training a few more weeks.