While yesterday was beyond incredible, today was served up with dark skies and blustery winds. Brrr… It was COLD.

By the time the rain began falling, I was really feeling chilled to the bone. Add an unhappy back to the mix and a 16 mile run feels pretty darn long. Over and over again, I stopped and attempted to relieve the painfully tight right side. I’ve no idea what I did to bring this on.

I did my best to stay positive — noticing the pretty amid the prickly circumstances. I stopped along the way to take pictures and attempt to stretch out my back. And YES, I was posting them to Facebook as I went. Somehow, the connectivity made this run feel less lonely — which is funny after feeling so at peace during the past two 20 milers.

Nearly 3 hours had passed by the time I finished up. Still…I did it.

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The alarm sounded but I didn’t leave my bed after turning it off. Instead, I stayed put and watched the trees sway outside my window. It’s was nice to not have to worry about being on schedule. I took my time getting ready and, after a long while, I was off like a herd of turtles.

Today’s run was the same as last weekend’s only I parked an additional half-mile away from the open space to insure my final long run for Big Sur would be at least 20 miles.

About 10 minutes into my run, I realized the significance of the day but there was no sadness that came with the awareness.  Instead, I took in the memory and was happy to have had it.

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I’m stealing Donald’s blog title from his Better Together post.

Although I do find times where running solo is exactly what I need, I am finding that I am preferring to pair up with a good friend to share a run, a meal, a movie, or just a good laugh.

With 18 miles scheduled, I was more than happy to accommodate Cindy’s request to join me for her 6 mile run. Her only caveat was that I was sufficiently tired by the time we hooked up. This was easily accomplished by me running 12 miles ahead of time.

Our time together passed quickly. We took turns catching up on the other’s life events.

Talk, talk, talk — run, run, run. Soon, we were done, done, done.

So… apparently, not everyone knows what “on your left” means. Some people hear the saying and think only “left” and head in that direction. When this occurs, it’s often not good. In my case, the misunderstood statement lead to me veering even further left than intended followed by a rolling of the ankle. I hopped, I hobbled, I assessed the situation, and opted to continue.

It may not have been my best decision of the week but given the fact that I needed this run in the worst of ways, coupled with the fact that the sun was shining for the first time in weeks, I willed myself onwards. And while I was running, I felt no pain. Running was nearly effortless — leading me to believe that possibly my ankle was okay and that my cross training had been good.

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