Breaking Away

I never thought I'd be starting a new blog so soon. Oh well, the old title was a little wordy...

Here's the intro in a nutshell: After eight road marathons with varying degrees of success and mounting burnout, I decided to break away from my old regimented training approach and find out what happens when I simply run (or should that be, run simply?). I've sworn off road marathons for the time being, shelved my Garmin and started doing more of my runs on trails. So far, so good.

I haven't set hard-and-fast goals for myself, though I just ran a 25k trail race in the Columbia River Gorge and have signed up to join Tim and Wendy Miller at the Tecumseh Trail Marathon in December. I'd like to try working up gradually to a 50k and eventually a 50-miler.

I hope you'll join follow me on this journey. It should be a lot of fun.

Join you? No. Much better just follow you.

@Jerry wrote:Join you? No. Much better just follow you.

Fair enough, Jerry. Though I really think you'd love a trail race!

I'm following! Good luck on your journey as we follow you!

Extra credit for the first person who picks up on the blog title's double meaning...

You will and can do it.

Let's see... Some lizards have break-away tails. There's a Kelly Clarkson song called Break Away. The (former)V-Team has broken away from the TP forums. You could be alluding to hockey or basketball or cycling. There's a running club in Memphis called Break Away Running... Do I win?

PS. I'm thinking you need to visit that family of yours in Auburn sometime before the year's up. Preferably during a race weekend.

@Mike MacLellan wrote:Let's see... Some lizards have break-away tails. There's a Kelly Clarkson song called Break Away. The (former)V-Team has broken away from the TP forums. You could be alluding to hockey or basketball or cycling. There's a running club in Memphis called Break Away Running... Do I win?

PS. I'm thinking you need to visit that family of yours in Auburn sometime before the year's up. Preferably during a race weekend.

All very good guesses, Mike. And pretty good reasons for the name. But not what I was thinking.

Good thought about Auburn. We'll have to see how the calendar works out.

Isn't there a movie with that title?

Good luck on this new adventure. I'm not at the point where I want to join you, but I'm interested in seeing where it takes you. Have fun with the new scenery!

@Matt W wrote:

Isn't there a movie with that title?

Ding! Ding! Ding! You're getting warm.

Now, what's the significance?

(And thanks. It's been a lot of fun so far, even as I learn the hard way what does and doesn't work when you go off-road.)

@Mark B wrote:

@Matt W wrote:

Isn't there a movie with that title?

Ding! Ding! Ding! You're getting warm.

Now, what's the significance?

(And thanks. It's been a lot of fun so far, even as I learn the hard way what does and doesn't work when you go off-road.)

You've still got coming of age issues? (couldn't resist).

@Dave Wolfe wrote:

@Mark B wrote:

@Matt W wrote:

Isn't there a movie with that title?

Ding! Ding! Ding! You're getting warm.

Now, what's the significance?

(And thanks. It's been a lot of fun so far, even as I learn the hard way what does and doesn't work when you go off-road.)

You've still got coming of age issues? (couldn't resist).

Well... yeah...

But that's not it.

You look like Dennis Quaid? Cycling is in your future.

You're going to start biking and speaking Italian?

@Kenny B. wrote:You look like Dennis Quaid?

@mul21 wrote:You're going to start biking and speaking Italian?

Non in un milione di anni!

(And no, I'm not shaving my legs, either.)

Mark I like your approach you are taking towards running right now. I found myself using this same approach after my 2007 marathons. The only difference is that I didn't give up on running road marathons. The bottom line is that some times it takes doing things differently in training to get the results you looking for in the future. I also find that by doing what you are doing it also helps in taking of the pressure of reaching goals and allows you to run for the love of it! Look forward to reading about you approving and enjoying running and view all your new trail photos!

As for the shaving the legs why not?

I agree with Schuey about shaving your legs - why not? Peer pressure...

I was thinking the movie when I said cycling, but having never seen it (I admittedly googled the phrase and the IMDB page popped up), can't extrapolate a guess other than that.

@Mark B wrote:Extra credit for the first person who picks up on the blog title's double meaning...

You're [1] breaking away from road running and [2] aiming to consummate the deal at a tough trail run later this year with a team from Bloomington, Indiana (setting of the film Breaking Away).

Ooo! A chance to use the "Multiquote" feature. It works!

@Schuey wrote:Mark I like your approach you are taking towards running right now. I found myself using this same approach after my 2007 marathons. The only difference is that I didn't give up on running road marathons. The bottom line is that some times it takes doing things differently in training to get the results you looking for in the future. I also find that by doing what you are doing it also helps in taking of the pressure of reaching goals and allows you to run for the love of it! Look forward to reading about you approving and enjoying running and view all your new trail photos!

As for the shaving the legs why not?

Thanks, Schuey! I took some time to think about my ultimate running goals - to continue to run as long as I'm able - and I decided that was I'd been doing was starting to suck the joy out of just getting out there and moving. So it seemed like an easy choice. As for doing trails and maybe even ultras, well... it'd been something I've been wanting to try for a while now, but I kept putting it off to focus on getting faster in road marathons.

As for shaving... I so non-hairy, I don't think anybody would notice the difference!

@Mike MacLellan wrote:I agree with Schuey about shaving your legs - why not? Peer pressure...

I was thinking the movie when I said cycling, but having never seen it (I admittedly googled the phrase and the IMDB page popped up), can't extrapolate a guess other than that.

Wow, this was a tougher challenge than I thought. Well... if nobody figures it out first, I'll spill the beans tomorrow.

Mark, great to read of your approach to running. Sometimes that is just what the body and mind order. It has to feel good to put the Garmin away and just enjoy your training. I look forward to following you on your journey.

Oop! Something important happened while I was fooling around with the "Multiquote" feature....

@KBFitz wrote:

@Mark B wrote:Extra credit for the first person who picks up on the blog title's double meaning...

You're [1] breaking away from road running and [2] aiming to consummate the deal at a tough trail run later this year with a team from Bloomington, Indiana (setting of the film Breaking Away).

We have a winner!

Tecumseh is run in the hills east of Bloomington, too. And to make it even more apropos, the big limestone quarries where the "Cutters" parents worked and where they went swimming? They're near Bedford, Indiana - home of the Millers!



Now, what on earth can I give Kevin as a prize? Ah. I've got it.

Next time you visit Portland, lunch is on me.

@Mrs. Schuey wrote:Mark, great to read of your approach to running. Sometimes that is just what the body and mind order. It has to feel good to put the Garmin away and just enjoy your training. I look forward to following you on your journey.

Thanks, Lisa. I catch myself checking my wrist sometimes, but all I see is that it's still just two freckles past a mole.

Anxiously awaiting the next mud run report! Did you ever get the mud from the neon shoes???

@John Kilpatrick wrote:Anxiously awaiting the next mud run report! Did you ever get the mud from the neon shoes???

Hey, John!

Yes, I got them (mostly) cleaned up... through they're a bit less "neon" than before. Except on the toes, where a clear plastic toe guard preserved the original color perfectly! Quite a difference...