Not Punished

I'll be missing the Prairie Punisher this year.

It was one of my favorite duathlons last year, a hot, rolling, out-of-body death slog with out and back 5Ks and a funky, warped race day energy. I'll know people who are out there racing it, while I am pacing myself alone on a 4 and a half hour trail run.

I won't lie, the six year old in me, easily distracted by shiny toys and wanting everything I want at the moment I want it, looked at the registration. Race day will be so much fun. Maybe I can make it all work, fit in the long runs and that race.

I am crazy in love with race day, I fell in love with the Punisher last year, and I know where I belong and where I want to be.

Getting ready for Pike's Peak, I've realized my lack of interest in distance running as a long-term gig. It requires an exclusivity of time that isn't attractive to me right now. And the aloneness of it begins to hurt.

But there is a deep current of euphoria, a removal from everything destructive, in moving through the woods for hours. No matter what, I believe there will now be days when my legs and my heart want to run in the woods for hours. And I will be able to give my heart what it wants.

This is an incredible gift. So that's what I'll be doing.

Today's Tune:
This popped up in my playlist when I was on the treadmill at 15% for 3 miles. I laughed out loud.