Off-season?!?

Hmmph to that, I say. My off-season has been on since about June, well over the suggested two week off-season. Today was day eleven of activity. Haven't gotten to the point yet where my "run legs" are back, but we're getting into the area where they (the legs) are starting to think this might be serious, and that they're going to have to step it up a notch.

I went out for a solid run this morning - an hour, over some nice little rolling hills on the North Shore. For those familiar with Around the Bay this stretch makes up kms 20 to ~26 on the course, just before the Grim Reaper where you've nearly lost your will to live. We didn't run the whole hilly section - just an out-and-back for 12km. I also joined up with a crew that I was introduced to by an acquaintance I made in the spring this year, when we were both underemployed.

This is new for me. I've been a 90% solo trainer for my whole career (with the exception of a few rides and last year's memorable Alton Half and follow-up Oakville Half) in this sport which comes with its pluses and minuses. Pluses - no discussion of what route to take today, in any sport. No argument over what to play on the iPod. No negotiation (or at least less negotiation) of start times. Minuses - much easier to hit the snooze button and put it off to later. Heck, somedays it's easier to blow it off altogether.

Not today. I was out the door this morning in plenty of time to make the five-minute start rule. The group is fairly diverse, with the one constant that they're all pretty serious runners. At least one has just qualified for the fifth consecutive year for Boston. Another is hoping to make it ths spring via the Ottawa Marathon. Still another just returned from a 30km road race in Budapest. This is definitely "stepping it up".

In other news, the next new job starts tomorrow. I'll be moving on to another company in the consumer goods industry with the responsibility of managing production in two facilities. This should be good. It's also a lot closer to home cutting a good hour and a half out of the daily commute.

On with the off-season.

Peace.