I am typing this blog from the café I find myself in daily, Le Pain Quotidien (Daily Bread).  Whether for a morning croissant and cappuccino, midday soup and sandwich or afternoon coffee and pastry, this is my spot.  There is usually a good book in my hand, but today with my computer I check in with those back home.  Our team has once again made a summer training base in Leuven, Belgium as we travel and race through the European track circuit.  Whereas last year I found myself in record breaking high temperatures and eating an absurd amount of ice cream to cool off, this summer has me searching for soup and wearing my beanie cap. I welcomed the warmth of my last two races in Rome and Monte Carlo.  After a rusty 5000 meters (15:13) in Rome, I was happy with my 3000 meters (8:44) in Monte Carlo which was just a few seconds off my personal best.  With my main goal being a fast 10000 meters at the World Championships in Osaka at the end of August, I feel my preparations are going great.  This week I will run a 3000 in London followed by a 5000 in Stockholm.  After Stockholm, I am off to Japan with Jen Rhines as we undergo final preparations for our World Championships events.
 
There is a certain sense of celebration as I compete on the track this summer.  I’m not positive, but this could be my last hurrah on the track circuit being next year I will focus on the marathon for the Olympic trials in Boston and the Olympics in Beijing.  Although I may not return to compete on the track, my near future has me very much consumed by “track” in a different way.  My husband, Andrew, and I are teaming up with his running club, The High Sierra Striders, to put a track in our home town of Mammoth Lakes, California.  Prior to leaving for Europe, I was in a continuous flow of lunches and meetings with Tourism and Recreation Commissioners and other town officials.  Since leaving, we have gotten the approval of the board to continue moving forward. A lot of work went into this approval process, but there is a greater amount of work ahead.  Off to work I go!

Mammoth is a distance runner’s dream location.  When Andrew and I moved to Mammoth in 2001 it coincided with preparing for my first marathon-- ING New York City.  It was so easy to increase my mileage and workload with so many trails to choose from.  I wanted to keep exploring farther into the mountains.  I wanted the thrill of another great view, another new trail to call a “favorite”.  Mammoth Lakes has been home to multiple Olympians, National Champions, US team members and Olympic medalists, but we can’t call it a running “Mecca” without the presence of an all weather oval surface to run on!  We have an ambitious goal of completing the track in one and a half years.  This ambition is something that running has taught me.  When your goals are lofty, you become so much stronger and wise by pursuing them.  By preparing meticulously for an ultimate goal, even if you fall a little short, you are far closer to reaching it than if you didn’t give it your all.  In one and a half years, I hope to witness the community of Mammoth Lakes and visitors circling our new track.  If we fall a little short, I hope to see these same people running around the track in two years.  We are excited and determined to help running in Mammoth, but also to help runners around the world by bringing them there to train.  So far, we have seen so much support for what we are trying to do.  Running has also taught me that there may be some hurdles along the way, but they are for jumping over.

I’m hopping on my rented, disheveled bike to that secret spot in the Leuven town square in order to send this blog off into cyberspace. I hope to see you at the ING New York City Marathon/Men’s Olympic Trials.  The men’s trials are shaping up to be the most competitive in the history of US marathons.  I won’t miss it and neither should you!