Because I go to a school that is on the semester schedule instead of the quarter schedule, I have a full month off for winter break. I have a lot of free time.
A. Lot.
The first 2 weeks were great, I honestly needed the break after a long XC season followed shortly by finals.
The past week has gone by like a crawl. With nothing to do, I busy myself with menial tasks, reading, cleaning up randomly, and training.
....And training
.........And training.
As I stepped out of my warm house into the bleak Seattle winter, I was reminded of the deep deep pain that surfaced in my legs last week. The Pain returned, just in time for me to finish my winter base - how nice.
I start on my 9 mile loop to do my Fartlek, one that I have done every week without fail. I use the most familiar path. I, for one, do not like surprises when I'm tired. I'd rather stick to my routine. My legs hurt enough without an unexpected hill, up OR down on the middle of a repetition as I churn along to the beat of 5min pace.
The gun metal gray sky encompasses my vision in a bleak embrace. The road is wet from the rain, and all I hear are my footsteps marching to the rhythm of my heartbeat. They go faster, my heart goes faster. They go slower, my heart goes slower.
Miles shed behind me like I'm peeling a potato, working hard only to find the middle is also as unsightly as the skin.
The long winding path which I have chosen deceives me, I feel like I'm barely moving. This run will never end i'm walking why is my heart rate over 170 I can feel it beating whats going on
My sanity is saved by my garmin, which tells me that yes, I am moving, and yes, it is under 6min pace. Well under.
I take a right turn and my shoe gets stuck in the muck and comes off. I put it back on. I take a left turn and the road is blocked. I climb stair after stair to get around it.
The road dips down, and I fall, fall for a mile. I can see my house, and the darkness of the Seattle night is already dimming the streets. It's 4pm.
As I step out of the shower, I think "that was a pretty typical run I guess"
I'm trapped in January, the gun-metal gray sky awaiting me tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.
And the next day after that.
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Double your money and make a stack I'm...
ReplyDeleteI know that Jesus (a fellow Jew) never had to cite his sources, but you really should give John L. Parker, Jr. credit for that title. Come to think of it, he deserves credit for a lot of things you say on here.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to face off with you at the Alumni meet. If you don't run the 3200m, i WILL run the 4x4.