ground work

brother meriwether at crater lake

bringing running back into focus hasn't been as simple as flipping a switch. there are days where the flow showed up in foggy glimpses, then the body threw it's caution flag and the battle of rest vs. push wages. the scene is a bit of rookie ball after a layoff and decondition. mostly, i'm out of habit. but habits return. right now it's about remembering which are the good one's and mitigating the bad ones.

volume hasn't been the goal, but rather the consistency that comes with rebuilding my relationship with running. i'm conscious of what's required. the connective tissue and muscle memory continues to rebuild but the cardio outlets remain open to other sports while my running body catches up. a few days ago brother meriwether came through bend with a truck bed full of toys meant for exploro and we decided to take advantage of a weather opening to see what we could see on grand scale. it's one thing to go for a ride, it's another to see something in a way you never had. i've been keen to get to crater lake in the winter for awhile. i knew the snowmo's used the main road for access, but conditions are never given. it was worth the shot. you don't know what you don't know. 

now we do, at least for that day. if mother nature throws a dog a bone, she doesn't care whether it tastes good or not. that's up for us to discover

the surprise for me was following up my longest run in a long time and highest volume week with a good day on the bike and my body responding. it builds confidence and emotional momentum. it's nice to feel that cumulative fatigue that comes with stacking together consistency and seeing the cup get refilled. while the flow still eludes, i'm back on this shit and it feels good.