"Work could cure almost anything, I believed then, and I believe now."

-From old EH, A Moveable Feast. 

Above quote proves true again. Injured today after two great weeks. Instead spent the day focused on what work remained: Read MLK Letters from Birmingham Jail, ate well (healthily), played guitar and got some stretching in with the hope of being positive to run tomorrow.

Some of my favorite quotes from MLK below. 

"Socrates felt that is was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal."

"Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily."

"We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right."

"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love."

South West 1000s

5 * 1000s around UMass South West living area.

1st 400 = flat

2nd 200 = steep uphill

3rd 400 = slight downhill

Rest = 3 minutes jog back to start

Results: 3:09, 3:03, 2:58, 2:58, 2:53.

Did it at 8am with Andy and Jon. Good Workout. Jon finished a few seconds ahead on each one. Andy was a consistent 3:00-3:04. Revelation of run: After the 5 mile warm-up felt horrendous. Thought that I ought to walk home - really almost did, this despite the fact that through my years of accumulated running wisdom I knew some of the best workouts and races come after moments of this (almost literally) debilitating doubt, what Coach O'Brien would call "the demons." Still though, planned to walk back to bed, depressingly. Then I did a stride. Felt okay, which equaled a glimmer of hope. So I did the workout. In sum: It is still about how you feel. Do what you need to do to feel good.  

Absoloodle

"I told him of my fear of losing control of my destiny, how, because I had camouflaged myself so well, I seemed now to be shaped and directed too much by the needs of others. How the power of one within me was being dissipated even though their purposes for me were not corrupted or ill-intentioned. On the contrary, their deeds came swaddled in the innocence of love. I was becoming powerless as those around me plundered my spirit with the gifts of themselves... It was time to slough the mottled and cunningly contrived outer skin and emerge as myself, to face risk or exposure, to regain the power of one. I had reached the point where to find myself was essential."

-More from THE POWER OF ONE, finished a few days ago.

I wrote - if I recall correctly - that whatever running pursuits I have I have because, partly, "I have nothing better to do."

Well, we'll see if that's true.

Starting Season 2 this week. The first ended successfully: I ran for three months, built up training, stayed healthy and ran a PR in the mile: 4:17.57. I said afterwards if I ran any slower I would have dubbed the season a failure.

But I didn't run any slower.

Absoloodle!

The Cactus

"God and I have no quarrels, madame. The almighty conceived the cactus plant. If God would choose a plant to represent him, I think he would choose of all plants the cactus. The cactus has all the blessings he tried, but mostly failed, to give man. Let me tell you how. It has humility, but is not submissive. It grows where no other plant will grow. It does not complain when the sun bakes it back or the wind tears it from the cliff or drowns it in the dry sand of the desert or when it is thirsty. When the rains come it stores water for the hard times to come. In good times and in bad it will still flower. It protects itself against danger, but harms no other plant. It adapts perfectly to almost any environment. It has patience and enjoys solitude. In Mexico there is a cactus that flowers once every hundred years and at night. This is saintliness of an extraordinary kind, would you not agree? The cactus has properties that heal the wounds of men and from it come potions that can make man touch the face of God or stare into the mouth of hell. It is the plant of patience and solitude, love and madness, ugliness and beauty, toughness and gentleness. Of all plants, surely God made the cactus in his own image? It has my enduring respect and is my passion."
-Professor von Vollensteen, from THE POWER OF ONE.

Apology # 1

Notice the "#1." That means that after most posts (if not all) I will probably feel the need to apologize.

This one is for saying that The CMS Racing Team "doesn't really care who shows up to race," etc, etc.

Now that is not exactly true. We do care. We'd rather have more than less, certainly. But perhaps the one condition to be on our team, unspoken, albeit - (and all the better for it!) - is that we all love running. Which. We. Do. So we are all obviously going to attend every race we can.

It's great to be on a team with a bunch of guys who just love running. That's why we are here. And that, I suppose, is another reason for this blog. Something to do with the love of running.

It's kind of metaphorical.

Literally

"I'm here, I suppose, to defend the titled conceit and all those like it."

I put the above in the "about me" section, as, I suppose, an explanation for why this blog exists. Actually, it exist because I am part of the CMS (Central Mass Striders) racing team and one of our teammates - a very devoted, and admirable Jim Johnson - was kind enough to create a blog for our team. We are a big running club, while the Men's Racing team, is rather small in comparison to all the mothers and fathers and retired runners, smokers, walkers, etc who make up the CMS "club." I joined the team after college because my good friend (and literally - more than once - life-saving hero) Andrew "The Hammer" McCarron told me to join.

The racing team is a very unobtrusive team. Although we compete to win (mostly in the New England Gran Prix Mountain, Cross Country and Road Series - and win often enough, we do)... (phew!) BUT, even though we compete and win, the team doesn't really care who shows up to race. Very low commitment. Which, I suppose - and those who know me best will agree (Hi Mom!, Hi JK!) - is a rather smooth arrangement for myself, said obsessive self-destructive runner.

Well, I'm still self destructive. But for the past year or so, since multiple running revelations, of them that running is undefeatable and that life is not... well, since then I've been running about average, rather than a complete failure. (See UMass of Amherst running profile: Matthew Clark... well, that's not completely fair, I had a few good relays).

I'm self destructive but I am running fast.

It's time to take on the above conceit. Literally, that is. I've got nothing better to do with my life. I'd like to whisk by some Olympic milers, (maybe not in street clothes), but whisk by them nonetheless. I'd like to be an Olympic miler.

I've got less than four years.

Hazah.

PS: I never answered my original thought (I'm not really a good writer)... Jim Johnson created a CMS Men's Racing Team Blog (see http://cmsmort.blogspot.com/) and in order for me to post there I need my own blog account too. Thus "Fastest Boy Runner" etc, etc. Thanks Jim!