Believe it or not, I do remember that I started the blog as a “running blog.” Although you might not know from my last few posts, I am still running. My legs will vouch for me. They are feeling that confirmatory soreness that says, “Yes. I did.”
On Tuesday, I’d had plans to hit the “dish,” a running locale near my work that offers lovely views of the area and is just minutes from civilization. It’s hilly but paved. I had my bags packed and was planning a noontime run when an email from Coach chimed in. Speed work: 1mi warm up, 8x400m @ 1:45-1:50 w/200m recovery , 1mi cool down. I abandoned my plans and worked through lunch. After work, I picked up YaYa and headed to the track to tackle the workout.
The track was crowded. To my knowledge, it’s the only track in the area that is lit after darkness hits. I settled in at lane 4 and began my warm up. Meandering through the joggers and walkers — who have no idea about track etiquette — I gathered information on who I’d be jockeying for track with once I picked up the pace.
When the time came to accelerate, I was ready. The biggest struggle was keeping my mind in the moment and not letting it wander off to find meaning in the other areas of my life, or even how many more laps I had to complete. One interval — one lap — at a time was all I needed to focus on. I huffed and puffed and pushed hard. With each of my intervals, I was rewarded with a satisfying time. It gave me back my “Yes, I can” attitude which I need right now. That night, I dreamed of qualifying for the Boston Marathon (among other things).
The following day, I arrived to work with my bags packed for another lunchtime run. Seeing as how it was the day before Thanksgiving, I was banking on being sent home early. I wasn’t, however, banking on rainfall and it was pouring. Contemplating another trail run at the Ranch, I considered buying new rainwear at the local running store. Instead, I went home and then hit a local walking path that was beautiful but paved.
Coach had scheduled this run for Thursday, but with all of the holiday activities, I knew I’d be hard pressed to find time on Thanksgiving. I wondered if my legs were ready for a tempo run so soon after my intervals. I gave a go. Once again, I was successful in my efforts — although seriously out of breath.
I had a lot of fun running in the rain, and I had one more thing to add to my list of things to be thankful for.