I think about my first attempt to run across the US every day. A mixture of great positive memories. A pinch of coulda/woulda/shoulda. A little sadness that I did not get it done. Mostly...I think about the huge warm feeling of gratitude for all of the support and well wishes you all gave me.
It was a positive life changing event for me.
The map of the United States taunts me. Sometimes good naturedly. Sometimes trash talking me in a way that would make most people blush. The rematch with the road is going to happen. The map of the US will be a tatoo of conquest on me somewhere, sometime.
But...temporarily, my professional life is getting in the way.
I don't talk much about what I do for a living. For most, my job would be boring. For me, I love what I do during the day (almost) as much as I love laying around happy-broken after putting my mind and body on the line for 50 miles. I work in the software industry at a very cool company doing some very cool work trying to illuminate what our government is up to through workflow and transparency software tools. Lets just say my role is one with a tad bit of responsibility.
I had originally planned on RAA2 kicking off on March 1st, 2012. I laid the plans. Asked for some help from some volunteers. Worked closely with the folks at House of Heroes (www.houseofheroes.org) as my selected charity. I was training hard. I was ready to go.
Then, my work life stepped in and said "Not so Fast dude.".
Our company is at a state where my disappearing for four months would make a decently big impact on our success. Not that the company could not survive without me...for sure that is not the case. However, timing and focus is really important for us right now.
The idea of being able to do my job from the road is unworkable. The reality is that the RAA1 taught me that I need to be 100% focussed on the run. It is a 24 x 7 commitment. I cannot mail in my efforts from Route 224.
Presented with choice, I thought long and hard about quitting my job.
My passion for endurance sports and accomplishing my goal of a coast to coast accomplishment were balanced out by the fact that I have investors, employees and customers depending on me to stay committed to our success in 2012. (Oh yeah, eating, putting a roof over my understanding loving wife's head and buying Temperpedic dog beds for my mutts might have swayed my thinking as well.)
So, it is with a big bit of sadness that I am going to have to postpone my RAA2 attempt for 2012 (unless something amazingly cool happens like GoogleFacebookMicrosoft decides they want what we make at Granicus and "encourage" me to find other things to do).
This is not a weasel out of RAA2. Back to my opening line, this run haunts me in a good way every day. I will get it done. The map is going down! It is lucky it gets to live a while longer.
So what is next?
I am going to keep my FB and this blog page open. I am going to race a lot in 2012 and do a few other cool endurance things that if you are interested, I will be sharing here. Also, I have come to know many people through the course of the run that I stay in touch with and want to continue to stay in touch with. You know who you are...many of you I have never met, but feel like I have created friendships with you none the less.
I also have something else that I have been working on in my spare time (2:00 a.m. to 2:44 a.m.) for the running community worldwide that I will be announcing soon. It is a project that I have been dreaming about and working on with a large team for over a year that I hope runners will find cool and useful. (Remember what I do for a living...hint, hint!)
What is my best guess on RAA2? 2013 or 2014. I know that sounds like a long time...but it is very, very close!
Stay running. I am. I hope to hear from you down the road.
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