The way you move is a mess, a mess. I can feel it in the sidestep and hear it in the sigh, and, and, and...
I ran all-over St. Louis last week, and Denver the week before, but this exercise has become too intimate for me now to share with strange pedestrians on city streets, regardless of my chances of running into them ever again. I run fast by commuters, and I don't have time to wonder if they think it's pride, but whatever the opposite is, that is what I am the opposite of, I am appositive.
"Are you going to go out in this?" I peek through the window and my eyes light up where the sun will not. It is overcast. Moreover, it is undercast. The rain comes sideways, and only the wind seems to be obeying the laws of gravity, dropping straight out of the sky and crashing into earth at 9.9 meters per second, that extra tenth a product of shear determination.
"Yes. There won't be anyone else on the trail."
I'm lying. There is another out there. Always is.
By mile 16 my iliotibial band is screaming WHAT ABOUT ME? DON'T YOU! DON'T YOU! DON'T DON'T DON'T!
By mile 17 I have invented a new method of running that doesn't require you to bend your right knee. The only downside is running into angry townspeople looking to eat into their surplus of pitchforks and torches. I'm alive. Alive!
By mile 20, the sunlight that stood me up gives way to darkness, and yet, still, somehow, illuminates the snowberries along the path, and it's almost enough to help me forget why I am running, but they are so, so pretty, and that is enough to bring me back.
"Yes. There won't be anyone else on the trail and I will be free to repeat out loud everything I wish I could take back."
11 comments:
20 miles? At 5000 ft. elevation? What are you, Forrest Gump? Sorry man, I'm siding with your I-T band and your bad knee.
oh, no, the 20 miler was yesterday here in yelm. i think i ran 12 miles total in denver.
please do not side with my body parts. they will turn on you. take it from me.
Are you training for a marathon, or just for your own physical destruction? Either way? Awesome.
my own physical destruction! i don't think i can overcome my fear of large crowds of people wearing spandex to take part in an official marathon.
Well, they don't ALL wear spandex.
Say that you'll run a marathon this next year. Say it!
(because I need the motivation)
Uh, that anonymous comment was me, I pressed the button by accident.
i may try to run a very poorly attended marathon, if i can find one. I've got my eyes on the Poughkeepsie Journal Dutchess County Classic. Should be a hoot.
this oughta learn ya: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/09/17/1653218
oh wait, you mean a running marathon.
never mind.
ha! i occasionally get SPAM inquiring as to my desire to participate in a SEX MARATHON and i am like, why? do you not know what a marathon is?
Brando, if you're ever interested, there are some awesome trail races that don't have the crowds. Or I run a sweet ultra every spring, full of crazy people and crazier trails. (It's a pretty small race -- they cap it at 200). Although the shortest race there is the 50.
My body commiserates with yours.
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