Saturday Run

I'm sure that some of you have noticed that it has been very quiet on the running front on this blog. September was going very well, my miles were moving up, I was on track with my pace and I felt good. Then something happened. I'm not sure what exactly, but October only saw 1 run (eek!) and Novemeber 3 runs. There are not a lot of excuses, I simply did not have any chance during the day and I prefer not to run alone in the dark. That makes winter running painfully sparse. I've still be watching what I eat, so I haven't gained any weight, but without my regular running I feel all fudley--fat, ugly, dumpey...you get the picture.

The sad part is that I really miss my runs. I was complaining to my hubby yesterday about how much I miss it. It is my stress relief outlet. Some people think while they run, and I do too, but mostly I lose myself in the music and motion. It is the only time of the day when no one needs anything from me, my time to completely shut off and run on automatic pilot. This is probably why I'm not a super fast runner. I do think about form and I have days when I push myself, but mostly I run for the simple benefits that make me happier.

So, today when I returned home from my children's piano recital I changed into my running gear and said, "Do or Die! I'm going out!"

I layered up, put on my gloves and earmuffs and turned on my music. This was my time to escape from my pre-teen, overly emotional, angry daughter. My only goal? Remember what it feels like to be in motion. I started slowly and from the very first moments I felt happier. My body remembered! The first half mile felt wonderful and I felt myself settling into my groove. You know, the one where your shoulders are relaxed but up and back opening your chest so you can breathe easier, your arms are relaxed and loose so that your hands reach that floppy state, and your weight settles into your hips grounding your balance and giving you that smooth forward motion instead of the jangly up and down. Before the end of the first mile I had even managed to relax my feet (I tend to grip with my toes until they go numb, don't know why but with a conscious effort I have been improving there).

Then the first big hill slowed me down. I stopped and walked, which was fine since my only goal after 2 months of not running was to simply get out the door. At the top of the hill I started running again, a little slower this time and suddenly my legs turned to lead. Wow, every step was hard, but I had expected it to hit me at some time during the run, so I kept going, running on sheer stubborness. I ran another mile and then stopped to walk again for a short time before running the last mile home.

It wasn't pretty. It wasn't fast. It was a good start back to my running life. Oh, how much I've missed you!