Being a native Californian, tornadoes are not exactly a natural source of analogies for me. However, I have visited areas frequented by such weather patterns and seen one actual twister with my own eyes. There seems no better symbol than those dark skies and thick air preceding such phenomenon to convey a sense of the foreboding. I am in the midst of some major life changes at the moment and while I believe the end result will be a positive outcome, it does feel a bit like a gathering storm at the moment. Between meeting with Realtors, coordinating contractors and packing up the last 10 years of our life, its strange to think that the potential of running a 100 miles overnight through the mountains this weekend, may be the only thing to provide a sense of normalcy. The timing suck, but my wife is supportive, understanding that I probably need this now more than ever and, perhaps, also a bit happy to have me out of the house where I sometimes get in the way as much as I help.
So, here I am in Tahoe while the whirlwind continues back home. This will certainly continue my downward trend in terms of entering 100s with a lack of preparation. I haven't run a step in nearly two weeks, my weight is up, I'm physically tired and mentally exhausted. I'm telling myself that it is good training for my 200 miler in September, but my only real hope is to have a good race and finish. I haven't had time to report on San Diego, but it didn't go great. The trails were beautiful and the race organization top notch, but it was warmer than I was prepared for and an early race over exuberance caught up with me and did my stomach in. I still enjoyed much of the event and managed to keep my spirits up at the end enough to cross the line in a playful 27:27:27.
We shall see what tomorrow brings me. I am expecting it to bring great trails, amazing views and a bit of inspiration during a very stressful time.
