December 2018
As I sit down to write this last Coaches Corner for 2018, I think back to the beginning when I started this column, March 2011, with thoughts of spring. As we head into winter, thoughts of spring being a few months off, I find myself at a bit of a cross roads. When I started with the column, Gretchen and I were leading Wednesday night workouts once a week, and I had a steady gig coaching cross country, track and field, and sometimes winter track. Now, seven years later I still have those irons in the fire, but have added our youth programs with Valhalla, Thursday Night jack Murphy runs from SMS in the summer, Monday Night Grind at Mascenic and all the work I do with Runner’s Alley and New Hampshire Cross Country.com and New Hampshire Track and Field.com.
All these endeavors take time. Often I find myself at the keyboard typing away articles at 4am, setting race courses before school starts, having practice right after school and scooting over to Peterborough for an adult track workout. Thankfully for me my family is involved with running almost as much as I am so I am able to cram in some family time on occasion when our schedules match up. And while I enjoy all the different things I get involved with (I do very little anymore that I don’t WANT to be doing!) something has to give.
This will be my last monthly column for the Monadnock Milers. I know over the years some of you have read at least some of the columns I’ve written and for that, thank you. I’ve enjoyed practicing the craft of writing through these columns, but I’m running short of ideas (I’ve written over 80 of them!) and more importantly, time. I still hope to contribute some material from time to time when something I’ve written for NHCC or NHT&F might be a nice read for the Milers.
I’m also handing over the reins of the Jack Murphy runs to the ConVal coaching ensemble to perpetuate the goals that Jack had for the running community of the greater CV area. Lance Flamino has been looking to start a summer cross country race series and it only seems appropriate that Jack’s name be a part of that. I can’t speak to any of the particulars regarding Thursday nights in Peterborough but you’ve been left in good hands.
After discussions with my family and the best way to stay involved with the Miler community, Gretchen and I decided the one thing we’d still like to be connected with is Wednesday Night track workouts for at least the coming 2019 year. Gretch likes the idea of at least one night a week dinner in Peterborough.
We’ll still be around town, hitting the roads in the trails in much the same fashion we have in the past, supporting local races and offering our own special “Valhalla style” events to all the Milers like usual. But by reducing the requirements that Thursday nights and monthly writing had on me, I’m a bit more free to offer more of the unique stuff that sparks my interest.
It’s been a fun ride and it’s not over yet. While I expect to pretty involved in the Monadnock region running scene, I plan to have one foot on the brake for a change, slowing down enough to enjoy the scenery.
I’ll see you out there.