I'm back running this week after a few days of gluttony in Quebec, followed by a six-day marathon work week. So I thought I'd be a wobbly mess on the running trails these last few workouts.
Somehow though, I squeezed in four days of running, capped by a long run on Sunday at a really good pace. One thing I'm learning as my training advances is that you never know how you'll feel on any given day. 'Never assume' is my latest mantra---it applies to lots of things in life, including running.
Today's seven-mile run featured a bug in the eye at mile 2. Wonderful, I thought, wringing my hands mentally as I waited for an allergic reaction to kick in. Would this be the end of my first long run in two weeks, I worried? Should I stop at home half-way through to grab some artificial tears and rinse it out? Thirty seconds into my pity party a strapping young guy pushing a running stroller passed me like I was standing still. I swear his three-year old strapped in the seat giggled as they raced by.
So I let that sucker smother itself in the corner of my eye and kept going. And picked up the pace.
By mile four I was in the groove, marveling at the knee-high grass along the trail, just from one week's growth. We'd had a lot of rain lately, but the soaking kind. No puddles.
Blossoms from the dogwoods, crabapples, flowering cherries lay thick on the ground. I crumpled them underfoot, a carpet of petals, fragrant and fresh. Life is good, I thought.
A good run. Time to ice the knees.
Total mileage: 17 miles
