It is important to me that Saturday Running Commentary be a thing again, even if I neglect to make my post shortly after my run, which I feel is the best way to do it (that’s not a run-on sentence) (although I suppose a run-on sentence may be appropriate for a Running Commentary post). Anyways, I ran this morning and I am going to try to comment about it even hours after the fact.
It is my first run of 2019. I felt too tired after my New Year’s Eve celebrations (although they were tame by many standards) (then again, why should I worry about anybody else’s standards?) on Jan. 1. Jan. 2, 3 and 4 I was working ten-hour days and TIRED, and I believe my blog posts reflect that. I almost did not run today. I considered going to the Mohawk YMCA and doing 30 minutes on the elliptical, I thought about taking a long walk and saying, “good enough.” Then I said what the hell, got into running clothes and went.
It was in the low 30’s. Weather on the One’s on Spectrum News said some freezing was still going on, so I was a bit nervous, but I thought it was not precipitating. True, the roads looked wet… sometimes it is best not to think too long about these things but just to get out and start running. So I did.
I did not head toward German Street, as is my usual practice, because it was close to eight and I saw a number of cars going by and I intended to the run in the road. A mere glance at the sidewalk confirmed me in my intention. As I ran down Bellinger Street, I saw a runner coming towards me running on the sidewalk and felt silly. Then I thought I was ridiculous. Normally I run on the sidewalk and feel self-conscious seeing other runners on the road. Do I really think these other runners are judging me? And why should I care if they do? I choose to run on the sidewalk. Or, like today, on the road. Similarly, other runners can make their choices. Oh well, at least these thoughts keep me occupied while running.
The roads were not awful, but I did not completely trust them. I felt there could be ice, and sometimes I knew there was ice. A couple of times I dared to go up on the sidewalk, but I did not stay there, because I definitely encountered ice eventually. But I kept running. I was happy to see some people’s Christmas decorations still up. Traditionally, decorations are supposed to stay up till Jan. 6, Twelfth Night. I always have a hard time letting go of the holiday.
My intention was not to run too long, since I had taken four days off and only gone for a long walk the day before that (go ahead and judge me, remember I am not supposed to care who does). As I ran back towards my house, keeping an eye on my watch and wondering how long over 20 minutes I could or should do, my legs were saying, “We cool. We got this.” I was surprised. Are these the same legs, I asked myself, that for three days at week were whining, “We’re tired! We’re stiff! We ache! Sit down!” What the hell, legs? But there is no point in trying to figure these things out; I am not clever enough to understand them.
I reasoned that if I ran 20 minutes, with my 10 minute cool-down walk it would be 30 minutes, the length of time I would have spent on the elliptical at the Y. I ended up running for 23 minutes, so I thought that was pretty good. I was delighted with myself for running at all. Would 2019 be the year I did not stop running in the winter but kept up running full time till next spring and summer? Would I never again have to write “Begin again” in my running journal? Then I thought, it is Jan. 5 and this is my first run of 2019, is that bad? And here I am second-guessing myself again. What the hell, me?
Next I am going to start second-guessing this blog post. Is it really a Running Commentary? Is it any good as a blog post? As I have observed before, if dithering burned calories, I would have no problem meeting my weight-loss goals.
