Monday, January 11, 2016

Getting to work in 2016



Started planning already for the 2016 Cape Fear Flyers Club track season. Had a Board Meeting Tuesday night at one of my fellow coaches' homes. Two of my roles are to put together a coaching staff, and oversee our nascent off-season running and fitness program. I've come to see how being a coach with the Club is an essence a 365 day per year role, similar (but on a much smaller scale) to how for instance, college football coaches are always representing their programs. Or to state another way, we never fully take off our "Coach hat" in our respective endeavors.

We had our first off-season work-out Saturday morning at the Carolina Beach State Park Fitness Trail. The day began blanketed in a grey, cloudy and misty shroud which trapped some cold air on the island. I put on a long sleeve shirt, beanie and gloves to start the run... but twenty, thirty minutes later the sun burned off the gloomy fog and quickly sent temperatures soaring through the fifties and into the sixties. I and the others shucked off gear and clothes as we ran. Again, was such a beautiful, warm day for wintertime.

Ran and talked with Cian. He said he has a goal this year to run 500 miles, and is keeping track of all his runs and cumulative mileage totals. Great goal for a 7th grader. His kid brother Isiah wants to break the state 2K course record this fall in XC, though he was unsure of what the time is. Their younger sister Lily who's 7, ran 2 consecutive laps (2.1 miles) with her Mom on the trail without stopping, and chatted happily away about the different flavored chap sticks she has. Zac, his Dad Paul, me and the brothers got in 5 laps, or about 5.25 easier miles. Next Saturday we all agreed to meet back in the actual CB State Park.

Got a 12 mile long run in Sunday morning with Amie. Ran down towards Kure Beach through the inner island trails, then back in the State Park on a mix of trails and roads. She was struggling in the latter stages, but would not be deterred from hitting the goal mileage. It's healthy as runners to get humbled at times, or to be again reminded that in running it wont always be handed to us, no matter how much talent we have. All I have to do along these lines is think back to the Iron Mountain 30 miler last Labor Day weekend... which nearly beat me into the dust. I emphatically knew after that day that I did not have all the answers...

Two straight 40 mile weeks for me. Plan to up the mileage some this week, and spend a good bit of time back on the CB State Park trails, setting up courses for the annual Wilmington Road Runners Survival run and breakfast this coming Sunday.

Hope everyone's 2016 is off to a promising start-


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