Group Pursuit

It has been a long time coming for American distance running fans and we finally got what we have been hoping for, a medal at 10,000 meters at the Olympics. Galen Rupp delivered a well executed race plan and along with his training partner and Gold medalist, Mo Farah, showed the world what can happen when two or more guys train day in and day out together with a single purpose can do. And, not to mention that their other training partner, Dathan Ritzenheim, finished a respectable 13th only 15 seconds behind them. Who needs that Kenya dry-fit shirt I was bummed out about not getting before they sold out. I'm sporting my USA! It was quite a race. Although my new training partners and I will not be taking any trips to Rio in four years to try our hand at bringing home some serious bling, we do challenge each other to new heights and personal goals every week. When I started back running after my heart attack, I was afraid to run by myself. When the doc says to carry a phone and uses the term "drop dead" you tend to hang on his every word as if spoken from God himself. I hate carrying a phone when I run, but dropping dead did not sound like it would help my 5k time. But I didn't like the thought of just me and my phone at 5:00am on the deserted streets of my little hometown, so I joined the local running club, The Visalia Runners! Now, I have never been a big club runner. I tend to keep a small circle of friends and even smaller circle of people I like to run and race with. It is not that I am anti-social, it is just the opposite. I love being around other runners, but when something is very personal to you, such as your running goals, you tend to want to be around like-minded individuals who are going to support you in your pursuit. My pursuit is not to finish, my pursuit is to be as fast as I can be. My pursuit is to run faster than you. Likewise, I know my inner-circle of running friends want to run faster than me. We are okay with that. It is the nature of a racer. You need me to run fast and I need you to run fast. It is just how it works. Which is why I enjoy my new club. My new training partners challenge me each time I run with them. Maybe not always to run fast, but to run smart. We work together to make each other better by sharing our racing experiences, what we have read, who we have talked to, and our own take on the sport. There is a mutual respect for each other's running gifts and experiences. Somehow rising before the rooster, lacing up and hammering out an 8 mile fartlek before the sun peaks over the mountains just makes sense with these guys and gals. A saturday without a long run of 12 miles, coffee and a refill before starting the weekend chores just throws everything out of sync. What is Friday without the casual banter of the wily veterans sharing tales of miles gone bye? Laughs, good stories, and fast times, along with coffee, make this one fun group of runners to hang around. Each brings their own pursuit of excellence and that is what really makes this club special. Excellence is defined not by the clock, but by what drives you to rise out of bed, lace up, and put one Nike in front of the other. For some, it is running their first marathon. For others, it is qualifying for Boston. And for some, like me, it is about clicking off a few seconds from your last race. But, we are all pursuing excellence. So to my new training partners, especially Mike, Yvonne, Maria, Albert and Michelle, thanks for keeping me company and helping me in my quest of fast times! You have all made me a better runner and I hope I have returned the favor. And who knows, maybe we will have our own Mo/Galen moment someday... As always, stay healthy, keep running and get out there and find a great group of runners to share the pursuit with!