So back in the day, I used to write a lot more thoughtful things than just race recaps and weekly status updates. I actually used to have a writing style and have posts motivated by more than just “oh, it’s been a week, I should tell people what I’m up to”, or more accurately, I should write down what happened so in 3 years when I go… what was I doing October 10th 2013, I can have some sort of recollection. For me, I remember (generally) the important stuff, but the details… well… the little plastic castle is a surprise every time.
For some reason, I stopped. I wanted posts to be more thought out. I felt like a few hundred words wasn’t enough, so it was like, 2k or bust. The problem with this is I always forget the little nuggets I think of on a run on Thursday by the time I do a weekly recap. For some reason, I was thinking this needed to be a 2014 resolution and I would start doing shorter, more frequent posts then, but then I realized, no time like the present. So, if I can hack it (it, meaning, not being exceptionally wordy and also remembering to open the wordpress console more often), expect that.
So, with that out of the way, today’s thought…
I was lunch running (a 5 miler) with Zliten, and this week we have taken turns feeling crappy on runs, and this was his turn, I was feeling great. The schedule said 5 miles with last 3 at tempo. I went out all happy puppy to try and catch the girls that were running only 2.5 and realized that was tempo pace, but it felt nice to be going fast, so I kept it up until I noticed I was pulling away and slowed it down to keep up with him and then I started feeling rough as he started feeling better.
We were chatting and I said the run was kinda not going the way I had planned (out too fast, now we were slowing and I felt bleh). I told him, on the last downhill stretch (half to three quarters of a mile?), let’s pick up the pace. He started running faster. I lugged myself after him and complained that he was not listening. He said that his brain must have heard hill (which we were on) and faster, so his legs started turning over. I did my best to follow suit.
I got through the rest of the run and made it to the downhill stretch (which is conveniently after a steep uphill) feeling mehhhhh and wanted to just jog it in. However, something in my brain just said “time to go faster” and my legs went with it. 10s, then even 9s, and I felt like I was flying and happy and peaceful and free, the kind of bliss you can only find in that spot where you’re going just hard enough to feel fast and badass, but not redlining. The mind thinks it, and the body does it. Novel concept!
It felt nice to have my brain and legs connect again. They’ve really been out of sync since I got injured in April. I haven’t felt fast or free or wonderful or speedy on a run, really, since then. It’s been oppressive heat or long distances or after a long bike ride or just trying to slog through whatever miles I could. Losing my base just as summer came on sucked, and it really made me limp along during tri season on the run leg, and it feels really, really good to see pieces of light in the corners of the universe that my run love might just be back.
I expect to see this feeling smashed to smithereens, as I’m heading out for a really long run Saturday and figure I’ll probably want to quit running forever after slogging through a upper teens amount of miles I don’t feel ready for (brain, not body), but for just one day, for one stretch, I felt like maybe I’ll be able to feel fast and competent at running again someday.
zliten
You did great on Saturday!