very, very slow-ly.

I’ve been trying to be patient but, honestly, patient is one thing I am not — at least not where my running is concerned. My calf has not complained after an hour of walking on Friday morning. It was equally as tolerant during a bicycle ride of some unknown distance on Sunday morning. I was even able to run pain free for 2 miles on Monday afternoon.

Today, however, I sensed a hint of discontent as I tried to gauge how much farther I could go. It was a pain. It wasn’t even a twinge. It was simply an inkling.

So, I turned back early and walked all the way back to the office.

NOT the stinky smell of sweat. I mean the OTHER smell. Pretty nice, eh? Do you know what that is?

Yup! It’s the sweet smell of a SUCCESSful RUN.

I know you have heard me advocate the importance of listening to your body. Like you, I’ve made mistakes and learned. Still, there are times when the message is hazy. One wonders if the absence of pain today will continue into tomorrow. This was the case with me on Saturday night. The half marathon that I’d written off on Friday was suddenly an option once more.

I ran a short 1.5 mile run. My body did not complain. So I proceded with caution to the starting line on Sunday morning only to find out that indeed my body was not ready to go the distance. Although I knew I couldn’t run or even walk the entire course without paying dearly for it but, on this beautiful day, it occurred to me that I’d made the early morning trek for a reason. So I continued on a bit further — taking in the scenary. After traveling a little over 5 miles, the course had reached a two way section. After the lead runners whooshed past, I decided it would be a good time for me to head towards the finish myself. I covered my bib and crossed to the other side of the road.

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