Nerd alert

Ever one to take something to the next level of nerdiness, I have added geocaching to the things I can do when I run. Geocaching, in case you didn't know , is a modern form of treasure hunting. But instead of a dusty treasure map and an eyepatch, you search for your booty with a GPS receiver and a pen. And an eyepatch if you want. Go to the Geocaching website to learn more.

How do I integrate running and Geocaching? It's a simple matter of figuring out where I want to run -- like near work or around my neighborhood. Then, I search for geocaches in that area on the Geocaching website. Once I find some, I connect two or three waypoints to create a route that's about the distance I want to go. Then, I run to the first cache. Simple. Once a week or so, this is a refreshing diversion that keeps my runs from getting boring and routine.

I am ashamed to tell you how much fun this is for me. But I swear it reaps benefits. In addition to getting the most out of my Garmin Forerunner 305, and adding spice to my runs, it actually helps me stay committed. Take this morning as an example. I needed to run before work so I could go out to lunch with my co-workers. There was a huge risk that I would hit the snooze button and blow off the run. So I decided to run to a cache near my house that I failed to find last night. So, after dreaming about the hunt all night, I didn't hit the snooze button like I so often do. I ran and found the cache.

See what I did there? I added something that generated excitement and instantly rewarded me for achieving a goal. I'm like a lab rat pushing the lever for more pellets.

And Geocaches are everywhere, especially in parks, so they are even a good way to add some spice to trail running. But even if you think Geocaching is too hard or too nerdy, finding some way to add excitement and a reward system into your running is a great way to keep you motivated. Like I said before, even if I don't want to run, I want to find that next cache. And how will I get there? I may as well run. And finding the cache is the payoff. Here's how it works.

do 
  me.buildExcitement()
  me.run()
  if (geocache.found = true) {
 me.getReward()
  }
loop while not me.isDead()

So this week was great.  I'm set to run 10 trail miles this weekend (and hunt down 3 or 4 caches.)  Life is good.