Today was the first day all week I've been able to get out and run. I had planned my week with Sunday and Tuesday runs, but then my 5-year-old son got sick and mama's desires took a back seat. This morning, I was determined to go have a decent run, one not truncated by meetings or family commitments or picking the boy up from school. So this morning, in spite of the 40-mph wind gusts, I set out.
It started just as any other run, with me setting off from my neighborhood, cursing the crappy streets. Even with the VFFs they are uncomfortable for my novice-self. Then I headed down behind the lake to hit the trails.(which double as a frisbee golf course for the "young adult" crowd) I ran up them, finding a couple of new ones I hadn't tried last time. I was still in my VFFs at this point. I came out the other side, found a picnic bench by the lake and sat down. At this point I took a breather, cried a little about my dad's fresh new cancer diagnosis, then took off my shoes and headed back towards home.
The trails were mostly hard-packed dirt last time I met them, but it rained over the weekend and today they felt a little like velvet. Smooth, pine-needly, leafy, rooty, velvet. It was perfect, except for part when Igot preoccupied with skipping a song on my Sansa Clip and stepped hard on a rock in my path. That kinda sucked. But otherwise it was really good for my soul. Once I got back out on the paved Multi-use path, I slipped my shoes back on, and headed back home on those stupied cracked, craggy, rocky streets.
Now here's where I screwed up: The day was so gorgeous, the sky so clear, that I decided to just keep running instead of heading straight home. I ended up running over 4 miles. I haven't run over 3 miles since last July. And in 2010, I've only even hit 3 miles one time. I'm hoping the fact that I ran pretty slow and took generous breaks will keep me from injury here. Because it was nice to throw on a hat and my Garmin and just go. I want to do that again, and soon.
It started just as any other run, with me setting off from my neighborhood, cursing the crappy streets. Even with the VFFs they are uncomfortable for my novice-self. Then I headed down behind the lake to hit the trails.(which double as a frisbee golf course for the "young adult" crowd) I ran up them, finding a couple of new ones I hadn't tried last time. I was still in my VFFs at this point. I came out the other side, found a picnic bench by the lake and sat down. At this point I took a breather, cried a little about my dad's fresh new cancer diagnosis, then took off my shoes and headed back towards home.
The trails were mostly hard-packed dirt last time I met them, but it rained over the weekend and today they felt a little like velvet. Smooth, pine-needly, leafy, rooty, velvet. It was perfect, except for part when Igot preoccupied with skipping a song on my Sansa Clip and stepped hard on a rock in my path. That kinda sucked. But otherwise it was really good for my soul. Once I got back out on the paved Multi-use path, I slipped my shoes back on, and headed back home on those stupied cracked, craggy, rocky streets.
Now here's where I screwed up: The day was so gorgeous, the sky so clear, that I decided to just keep running instead of heading straight home. I ended up running over 4 miles. I haven't run over 3 miles since last July. And in 2010, I've only even hit 3 miles one time. I'm hoping the fact that I ran pretty slow and took generous breaks will keep me from injury here. Because it was nice to throw on a hat and my Garmin and just go. I want to do that again, and soon.