I laced up my Saucony’s this morning…
The Vermont summer was hot. Humid. Unbelievably humid even for New England. Slogging through the thick weighted air had weakened my running resolve. Working hard to breathe at 7am was discouraging. Defeating. I knew the dedicated hard miles would benefit my fall running but come late August I fell into disbelief. Vaporizing my lungs, several days each week just exhausted my spirit…
Early September came and went as I ignored my usual running routine. A respite was beginning to look more like retirement. I knew I couldn’t let that happen. Not quite yet anyway. The benefits of running for me are numerous. Offering a level of fitness, I have yet found elsewhere. I can solve work issues as I put one foot in front of the other. Write blog posts as the oxygen flows. Change a painting composition as my imagination expands. Magic happens on the pavement…
Talking with my daughter through earbuds while she pushed my granddaughter in her running stroller over the past few weeks engaged my running heart. I listened not so much to her words but her ability to easily breathe while chatting with me. Emily’s cadence was quick. I had witnessed the efficiency and quickness of her feet for many years. Preoccupied I asked her how many miles are you running? A runner’s Pavlovian response …
I knew I had to get back to what I loved. I could not live vicariously through Emily’s efforts another day. It was now or never. Not another week could slide by. I headed out the door the other day with a bounty of enthusiasm. The enthusiasm began to melt away as the miles became a reality. The most uncomfortable run I could remember in a very long time. I wouldn’t say painful, but the waning of fitness happens quickly. The work to get it back to a relative level of fitness will take some effort, but I am ok with that…
Cool crisp air. 39 degrees yesterday. 48 this morning. I dressed simply for my run. Always have. The first autumnal mile was up. As was the second. Vermont seems to offer only one direction. My lungs burned as the cool air filled them. I smiled. Tap, tap, tap. I felt at home. I remembered to move one foot after the other quickly while I enjoyed the ride. The landscape stunning. A sense of childlike freedom was not lost on me this early morning…
“As every runner knows, running is about more than just putting one foot in front of the other; it is about our lifestyle and who we are.”
― Joan Benoit Samuelson
Joan Benoit Samuelson ran the London Marathon today in 3:20:20 at age 65…
