Coming Together

Isn't it funny how you go long periods of time just waiting, with nothing happening and then, suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, things come very quickly together; almost like a snowball racing down a hill, gathering speed. It almost seems surreal and like it's happening to someone else. Plans have been made and I'll be meeting some of my potential guides on Monday. One person in particular is interested and we're going to do a  light walk/jog workout to get the feel of the tether and whether or not guiding is something this person wants to do. Looking toward the future, knowing that this potential guide is going to be running the London Marathon on the 22nd, makes me hopeful that I will not only have practice partners, but people who will want to guide in a race or two as well.
We've also made plans for me to meet other runners on the 22nd, after their 8 mile run, in order to discuss the possibility of guiding. They seem like a very social group and I think that sitting down in a non-workout environment would be incredibly beneficial. It will allow us to all chat without having to worry about completing a practice, which means we can just focus on getting to know one another. This was something ERC had talked about doing, but it never actually happened. I think that because this is a part of this particular club's routine, it will be even more conducive to getting comfortable. I think this laid back attitude will translate well into finding a pool of guides.
A lot of the other clubs that I contacted were very serious and very focused on training. As much as I think that is great and want that, I come from that background and I want training to be enjoyable this time around. If I learned anything from my swimming career, it was that there is a place for being "all work and no play," but that enjoying what you're doing is just as important. I think this club may, in the long run, be a better fit. Not to mention, their laid back attitude may be what makes them more open minded and willing to try new things. Needless to say, I'm incredibly excited and also a little amazed at how open and welcoming this club has been thus far. It definitely is a breath of fresh air.
With more solid plans laid out, that means no more excuses: I need to go to the gym and increase my fitness. It's not fair of me to expect people to help me if I'm not up to par. So, it would appear that I have a date with a treadmill later this afternoon, but the difference is, I won't be dreading this workout as I have done in the past because I know that there is a point to all of the madness. I will get to train outside and eventually, I will get to race.