Excitement is contagious. It doesn't matter that I am not personally entered in any races this season, I am just as excited to follow the Marine Corp marathon (congrats, yesterday!!) or the Halloween runners across at the park Saturday, or Marlon's success at his 24 hour ultra, or Crash putting in those long miles for his comeback marathon in December...Saturday I woke early enough for an out and back made comfortable by the cooler temps, and prepped for a long run Sunday.
Morning smacked me in the face with strong sunlight; slept later than I planned, but temps read 66 degrees so I could still stay super comfortable out for a while on the roads. The skies were full of feathery clouds as I headed out to the main road, and from sheer habit turned up the overpass to 29th....allowing my body to wake up, stretch out a bit and get a rhythm going.
I thought about the MCM'ers "OORAH"ing their way through DC....and as usual, wondering what makes one run so different from another....as I turned up Angler's to Ravenswood and took that beautiful straight stretch feeling mysteriously light on my feet! The air clear as glass, the skies unfurled like a vast flag while the road seemed to rise up to meet me until I took my first Publix pit-stop.
From there I wondered about taking the Big Loop down to 40th....I've been plagued by loose dogs at times, and there was one at the bottom of 40th that has made me avoid this road despite its lovely country feel....but feeling so great I thought, today let's go! Heading back out to Griffin and passing my usual cut-down at 35th...it's hard to get going again after a break....I slogged along until my feet caught up and took the turn on 40th....so much changes in so many little ways even on residential streets! I felt tired but kept the pace as I rounded down through the shady trees and onto Stirling...finding my way through my usual Emerald Hills loop to home.
By now the sun was full on, and the temps back up....the lack of humidity, so rare for us here, was the boon I needed to feel comfortable despite the distance....I kept patting myself on the back for every little fartlek, every street covered, each time I ran instead of walked, and focused on breath and rhythm...nothing hurt too badly... and my heart felt strong and wide open to the world.
Running on a day when I have no schedule constraints is the greatest freedom I know. When I got home I dove into the back porch to putz with the plants and draw....and felt that beautiful vibe all day of being in harmony with the road...as it seemed to rise up to embrace me. Even if so many previous efforts felt full of struggle and angst, it only takes one magical run to make it all present again: the movement, the power, the synergistic relationship with Mother Nature watching me watching Her....buoying me up on the hard stretches....blowing me a nice breeze, warming up my arms....filling my heart with hope that even me, the 'wanna be' runner is still capable of -what to me are- great feats!! Getting out there, putting in my own honest miles....longer than I hoped! And finding my REAL long run again!
Morning smacked me in the face with strong sunlight; slept later than I planned, but temps read 66 degrees so I could still stay super comfortable out for a while on the roads. The skies were full of feathery clouds as I headed out to the main road, and from sheer habit turned up the overpass to 29th....allowing my body to wake up, stretch out a bit and get a rhythm going.
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