Running as Therapy : Races, Familiar Faces and New Places

Like many of my trips back to Colorado this one was motivated by a chance to race with friends. At this point in my life "race" might be a stretch, but I enjoy running with friends in these "reunion runs". Originally we talked about doing a double but for various reasons I was the only one who ran the Hears 5K at Bear Creek Park. The course was pretty gentle but the altitude was brutal.

I only stayed in Colorado Springs for two nights but I got to see Joe for dinner and then the next morning I met with Ron Payton for a good breakfast smothered in green chile at the Western Omelet. It was fun catching up with Ron a long time friend and fellow coach. Then we went for a long hike at Monument Valley Park a place where we shared many coaching memories. Finally of course, I went to a favorite used book store.

Then the next day after the race at Bear Creek Park I went back to the hotel to clean up and check out and then met with Tara Strachan, a former Sierra athlete at The Perk in downtown Colorado Springs. When I last saw her she was a student at Massachusetts Maritime Institute and she came by a swim meet while on a school break to see if her records still stood. They did! Now she's a wife and mother of two and works in environmental science. Seeing her was a highlight of the two days in the Springs.

After coffee we said our goodbyes and I headed north for Castle Rock where I would be running my second race of the weekend. I decided to stay there two nights so we would have a place to clean up after the race before we all met for lunch. A highlight of the lunch for me was reconnecting with RaShaan Davis for the first time in several and seeing his son Kendle who just got out of the army and was starting school at his Dad's alma mater, Colorado State Pueblo.