You have to live like a monk if you want to be in the monastery

I told myself that if I somehow managed to pass the term that I would start a blog. Regrettably, bound by that criteria, I had to wait until now to get the site up and running, which means I am once again behind Charly and Michael (http://urbanbunnyproductions.blogspot.ca)- but that isn't shameful in the slightest so let's get this thing going!

This is my (mainly) running blog. You are here because you have some sort of interest in running. If you don't, I once again direct you to Charly and Michael's blog, which will provide a taste of high art, hyperbole and humour that I simply can't generate.

The title for this entry is, to my knowledge (and Google's), original. It sums up my current philosophy about training, and is something I have muttered once or twice to some people I have run with. Sacrifice is necessary for anyone who wants to live a certain lifestyle- a separation from the average person on the street. In running, that might mean going to bed earlier than anyone else you know, or waking up early on a Sunday morning hungover and grumpy to trudge 15 miles in freshly fallen snow. Regardless of the method, it is all surely madness to those who are content with mediocrity. But for the University of Waterloo Cross Country team, I have higher hopes than mediocrity this fall.

For my part, my primary goal this summer is to run more miles cumulatively from May to the end of August than I have run previous. I hope that for myself and the people I am training with, this will result in a physical separation from some of those who were close to us in races in the past. I also hope to have some success on the track…success being entirely subjective based on my own estimate of fitness. Where the blog comes in stems from the motivation I often get reading the blogs of other runners who make great gains from modest beginnings. On my own wannabe semi-sub-elite level, if I can motivate someone, especially those from my own team, in any way, I will consider this endeavour a success.

I have to be honest- I have some anxiety about writing about myself since I don't have any particularly good stories (à la Rob Watson) and I don't race nearly enough to fill my blog with race reports alone. But I'll give it a go and keep it up as long as I can. If I check out of the blog game any point, I'll let you know- I can't stand it when someone has a blog and suddenly disappears off the face of the earth without a keystroke to explain why.

For those that are interested, I plan to open up the spring season on May 12th at the Terry Goodenough Memorial Run in Waterloo, and quite frankly I care far more about the meaning of the event than I do about the race. I will be fat and slow and getting crushed by former  and current team members, and it will be lovely.

Finally, I'll try to log my training every week here so that it's available to view for those that care.

Thanks for reading.

- Patrick