May in South Africa.
The days are getting shorter, the mornings crisper and leaves are constantly falling to the ground. A time of reflection, hibernation and even looking ahead, but not too far.
Autumn is a unique time of the year, a period that I have come to appreciate and relish over the last few years, although it wasn't always that way. My younger self would mourn the end of summer, viewing the months leading into winter as a pointless waste of time. Wintertime would invariably be tolerated with the anticipation of spring, which remains as my favourite season.
Nowadays, I prefer time to slow down a little and enjoy the moment for what it is, seasons included. Instead of looking ahead to athletic aspirations months ahead, a little emphasis on the now is not a bad thing; reigning in the impulse and desire a touch can only be of benefit further down the line. The notion of the Endless Summer may appeal to some, but the reality is that seasons are there for a reason. As they say, too much of a good thing is not a good thing anymore.
A month has passed since the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon and I'm feeling good. Whilst there are many athletes looking ahead to the Comrades Marathon in a few weeks, my fifty-six kilometre voyage around the Cape Peninsula signalled my personal cut off point. Cut off in both the physical and mental sense. You see, I believe that the human body has a finite amount of energy, the amount of which needs to be carefully distributed. Once the well runs dry, it is time to scale back and revitalize the body, mind and spirit in a way that is unique to the individual.
Easter Saturday signalled the tail end of my own well. After a busy spring and summer engaged in a multitude of activities both athletic and commercial, the notion of cooler nights and darker mornings seemed quite appealing. Not too mention indulging more in some other less specific pursuits.
No matter how balanced and pragmatic an athlete may attempt to be in terms of preparation and competition, the specificity of his or her chosen sport generally overrides any desire to go “off the beaten track”. Such alternate activities are often relegated to the periphery in favour of things more sports-specific. There is nothing wrong with this though – it is natural to get caught up in the process in pursuit of whatever aspirations one desires. For instance, yoga does not make one a better runner, just like weightlifting is not critical in improving surfing ability. A runner needs to run in order to maximize their performance in a marathon.
That said, this notion of specificity does have a shelf life and is not sustainable in the long term. And this is where seasonal change and, more importantly, personal intuition come in.
The weekend immediately after Two Oceans saw me get back on my bike. Soft pedalling in and around the Southern Peninsula was a glorious diversion from the more pressing ultra-marathon preparation sans cycling of the preceding few months. Three consecutive days of easy barefoot beach running followed together with my desire to increase my daily dose of walking. Shorter morning jogs to work complement my long evening walks home quite nicely. More time to take in the scenery not to mention enjoying slightly increased sleeping patterns has already done wonders for restoring my bio-mechanics and enhancing recovery. Reigning in the impulse to jump back into short distance competition has admittedly been challenging, although self-discipline has held out up until now.
As I type the closing words of this essay, the sun is bright and the birds are singing. A morning spent lazing around the house together with a bit of home maintenance is starting to make me feel twitchy. It is Sunday and I'm starting to get excited about my sporting plans late afternoon, something I've been thinking about and relishing for seven days now. It began a week ago out of seeming spontaneity although in my subconscious for some time now. Inspired by the likes of Devany, Sisson and Kearns, the time for The Session has finally come around.
To be continued.
