Wow, that sounded depressing.
What I mean, specifically, is the ending of one thing so that something else can begin, or the fruits of months of labor coming to a close. As I find myself at a transitional period in my life, it's hard to not reminisce sometimes about the nature of change. While I do not profess to have any great insight, it is interesting how these things always seem to happen at around the same time.
Tonight we will (sort of) close the show I've been doing in Round Rock. I say "sort of" because we're actually doing two more performances next weekend down in Wimberley, Texas, but it won't quite be the same show that we've done so many times, since the setting (and the participation of neighboring trains) won't be the same. It's an odd sort of feeling, realizing that we're almost closing a show tonight, only to open it again on Friday, only to close it for good next Saturday. And like always, there's the bittersweet feeling of being sad to see something go when you've enjoyed it so much, but being excited about the next thing to come.
One of the things I appreciate most about the world of professional theatre (as opposed to what I did in high school and college) is the length of time that you get to perform a show. In younger days, you'd spend weeks and months preparing something, and it was over in a weekend. The show itself never had a chance to grow in front of an audience. Now, we run three or four weeks, and we all get a chance to change, develop and truly love our performances. What's even better is that, in most cases, you don't get the chance to get sick of it either, and then you're on to the next thing.
A good portion of my life has been spent waiting for the next thing, and I imagine that this is one of the things that draws me to theatre. I love having the project on the horizon, just like I love having the "next race" coming up. Part of me, however, is really beginning to get tired of waiting, and now just wants to enjoy the day-to-day. The good news? We've officially decided to settle here in Austin, which means putting down some roots and not worrying about what's next.
Still, that will always be a part of my personality, and that's what I've got theatre for. And running, for that matter, though I've got my own issues there. Today, as I passed two hours on my long run, I realized that I was just so incredibly bored. The landscape didn't change, I don't listen to music, and I know just how much longer I've still got to go. Maybe the answer is mixing up my running routes a little more, but most mornings I'd rather just go out and back and not have to think about the path. This works very well on runs of less than 10 miles, but I really have to come up with something to keep my interest piqued on long runs, because today was way too slow for me. I was almost two minutes per mile behind my desired pace, and that's unacceptable.
Next week is a step back week, so I'll get a chance (I hope) to rest the muscles a bit, but I know I've got the big miles yet to come, so I'd better come up with something quick. There comes a time when a race that is still 10 weeks away just doesn't hold your interest. The long, slow miles, though they are crucial to success, take all the fun out of preparing for the race. Just like in my theatrical life, I've got to come up with more "events" along the way.
Now taking suggestions.
Sunday's Run:
85 Degrees (at the end)
17.2 Miles
2 Hours, 34 Minutes, 28 Seconds
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