I unexpectedly ran today. I had my work-out clothes in a bag in my vehicle, thinking to go to the YMCA in Mohawk for my usual arms and abs followed by elliptical. Then I stepped out of work into the warm air and thought, “I can’t waste this!” It was nice and cloudy too, just the way I like it. I left the workout clothes in my vehicle for another day, got dressed in a running outfit — shorts and short sleeves, woohoo! — and set out. Full disclosure: the outfit in my bag would have been fine for running, but I figured this way I already have the bag packed for next time.
Oh, the bare sidewalks! Oh the breeze that did NOT torment my sinuses! Well, yes, the warmer temperature does make my spring allergies immediately kick in (it’s either placebo effect or really, really fast pollens), but that is not the same as the pain brought on by a bitter wind. I got set to enjoy myself.
Of course I did not. I have not been running in weeks (too lazy to check my running journal and see exactly how long) (well, that fits: too lazy to run, too lazy to check). I have taken walks and gone to the YMCA, but not as consistently as intended or recommended. In fact, I haven’t done anything since Friday. In my defense, oh never mind my defense, explanations are tiresome. But my body was not happy with me right away.
I grimly told myself that this was the difference between a smooth elliptical machine and pounding on the pavement. Just endure, I thought. One must get through runs like this to get to the good ones. I have not run up the hill to Herkimer College in a long, long time. I want to get back there one day! Today, obviously, was not that day. I decided 15 minutes would be OK, although I would try for 20. Twenty minutes seemed good for the first run in a long, long time.
I thought about how I have been going for long walks on some of the days I do not go to the YMCA. Walking, I thought longingly. How pleasant would that be? I would go further and longer! Why wasn’t I walking? I had really missed a bet this time! But I kept running, at least the middle-aged shuffle I call a run. I reminded myself that this was the pace I can keep up for just about as long as I decide to.
By the end of the run, I was picturing a calendar and counting in my head if I ran 20 minutes, then added 10 percent every week, how soon would I be ready to run a 5K? What if I ran 22 minutes? I left out a week and got confused. Then I wondered when I might find a 5K in the area that I wanted to run. I also wondered if I would be able to get a blog post out of this run. I could call it May Day Run. Isn’t May Day what ships call when they are about to sink? Appropriate for the way I was running!
I made it for 23 minutes. Perhaps I could have gone further, but there was no point in killing myself (oh, YOU can probably see a point to it!) (you know who you are). As it was I was damn tired. My cool-down walk was more pleasant than the run, but I was ready to stop that by the end, too. I stood on the deck to do my stretches and noticed some daffodils in my yard. Yay, daffodils! I had been hoping all day to see some May flowers.
