Running Amongst the Wind

Hurricane Irene brushed by Frederick County last night with the remnants expected to be through the area by early afternoon.

I got up at seven, looked out the window to see light rain and a gentle breeze swaying the leaves in the trees. Though we lost power sometime around one AM. a quick survey outside showed only small branches and leaves strewn around the ground; great time for a run.

Before any of you start calling or emailing, please know the the Surgeon cleared me to start today.

Walking hasn't been much of a problem but I knew that jogging (much less running) would be a different animal. Getting dressed, I put on a specialized garment, essentially a cumber-bun with a pocket to add support. My “test run” was to the end of the driveway and back.

Remember the poem “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly”; it wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her. The feeling I got jogging to the end of the driveway brought that poem to mind. Reworking my preparations, I added an ACE bandage wrapped tightly around my waist while taking the utmost caution with the safety pin.

The jog to the end of the driveway and back this time seemed “doable”.

At seven forty five, strapped tighter then a Southern Belle before the cotillion I headed out. I'm not going to lie and tell you I felt “normal”, it took a half mile or so to adjust to feelings that things were bouncing or just plain loose. Those feelings were soon overcome with a sense of gratitude and pure enjoyment that I was running again.

Just prior to eight o'clock I arrived at Hamburg Road to an empty parking lot, minutes later two of my trail buddies showed up and off we headed into light rain, gentle breezes and flooded trails. Randy and Steve let me lead for three miles before the trail brought me back home. In total I ran for a little more than four slow miles getting soaked to the skin and loving it.

Amazing how the incremental small steps can be so satisfying.

Just now, as I'm finishing this post, I'm witness to the Sun playing hide and seek with clouds, Irene is past, simply another footnote in history and the outlook is brighter.

Later....... Mike