111 Days - Chasing Hope

It seems that many of my friends are suddenly faced with new choices based on past relationship decisions. I would think there was a full moon assuming that they could last more than a few days. Maybe it's the rain in Los Angeles that brings people indoors and closer to their thoughts. I wonder sometimes if we make the decisions that we do based on comfort rather than what is best for us. But none of this has to do with me. Not today at least. Today I am just chasing Hope. And I mean that in the most literal of ways.

Today is Andy's birthday and this morning I opted to meet him for a Mt. Wilson training run, lead by Coach LeClair. It was good to see both him and some of my CrossFit friends again since I had opted out of training on Thursday due to food poisoning. The drill was simple... run for 2 miles, rest for half the time that it took to run that and then repeat the 2 miles once more. This type of training was unfamiliar to me and even a little outside of my comfort zone. Left to my own devises I probably would have logged a good 15-20 'junk' miles and left it at that. I had planned to take it slow but that plan quickly changed. I'm learning that I don't really like it so much when people pass me. Hope, the talented runner that I had trained with a few weeks ago was there and my goal was to keep her in my sights.

There were a few strong runners in front of me but I thought I might be able to catch them on the downhill. I was right. I finished my first two miles in 15 minutes which was pretty good for me considering that I am nowhere near recovered from the races that I have done recently. The second loop was only 30 seconds slower. I can thank two of the men that I passed on the first lap for breathing down my neck and keeping me from slowing down.

It was good to feel like I was actually racing, but I know I can be better with a little bit of work. My new goal on these runs is simple... keep up with Hope. If it wasn't so literal it would be poetic.

"You know Summer," Eric said, "You could win the Mt. Wilson race."

I shook my head. "It's three weeks after my next 100."

"You know Summer, you could come get drinks with us after the Mt. Wilson race." I laughed. But it was so great to have someone believe in me like that. I'm not going to let him down.

As I start to get ready for tonight's fun, a dinner with friend's to celebrate the birthday boy himself, the sun is starting to poke out from behind the clouds once more, leading us back to the life that we are used to here in sunny Los Angeles. What will we all choose to do out there surrounded by the predictability and comfort that we know? Will we settle into our own old lives and honor our former decisions or will we learn how to just let go and chase Hope?