It's Sunday morning and while I write this post a dozen or so friends are enjoying a cool morning run on the "Blue Trail" Normally my absence would have been somewhat depressing and while I really would prefer to be with them I am not unhappy.
Yesterday I pushed my limits a bit too far.
My day started with a ten mile run on the C&O canal keeping about a nine minute pace with my running friends Craig and Debbie. It was a cool and humidity free morning, truly rare for Maryland in August. I knew at some point I my body would remind me that I had not done this for some time, only with a mile or less left it did. This was my longest run in months and all systems behaved (until I got home anyway).
Prior to the invite from Craig for a canal run I had signed up for a March of Dimes 5K race through one of the local Vineyards. Having a race through a winery is not that unusual but a start time of five in the afternoon was. Still, with live music, wine tasting and a great cause I had signed up even though I know I should not be racing.
I returned home before noon, sprinting first into the office to deal with a GI track that had little appreciation for a great ten mile run. In addition, my arms "Buzzed" from the elbows down, something I have not experienced before. For the next two hours I would return multiple times to the "Can" and began to wonder if I would be able to go to the race. I took half of a pain pill and laid down on the couch for a nap.
Rest often works wonders for me and by the time I had to leave (4:00 P.M.) I felt pretty darn good so off I went.
On the starting line I told myself, "Just take it easy, enjoy". The course was a double loop course and I was pleasantly surprised when I completed my first loop in a hair under twelve minutes. Where do bad thoughts come from ? Hell I don't know but it came........... "Negative Split". After all, I felt pretty good, certainly wasn't carrying any excess weight and with the hills it should be my type of course. I guess the Achilles held out for about half a mile before it began "talking", in addition I began to feel the morning miles as I started gimping up hills and running down without the benefit of a full stride. It was a slow last mile.
Final time, twenty four twenty five, seventeenth overall, second in my age group. After the race I limped around for an hour or so, tried some wine and headed home feeling somewhat stupid but happy that I had run a race, my first since March.
Today the guts are quiet, the Achilles sore but not too bad, later I'll be heading to spend a couple days at a friends cabin hopefully getting in a hike or two. Life is good.
This past week, two people I know underwent Rectal Surgery, one person I followed on a Blog passed away and I ran my first race in months, I have much to be thankful for.
Mike
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