I started running my senior year of high school. I did one season of cross country and half a season of track. It was the only team I’ve been on since tee ball.
I really like to run though, and it’s the sport of choice for geeks and introverts, so ever since I’ve kept up an on again, off again affair with running. I haven’t done a lot of races because I like running — not competing — and one of the reasons I like running is because it’s something I can do on my own. With that in mind, I never understood why I should pay $25 to run 5k down a city street with total strangers at my elbows when I could run 10 in solitude through a state park for free.
I am trying to do more runs now just to give myself a goal and to do some things with other people I know who do such things. So I signed up for a 5k in March with my coworkers. I hadn’t run in a few months, but it’s a 5k. I could do that cold. I ran for a couple of days starting a week before the race, and then I mangled my foot in a bike accident. Broken toe, sprained ankle, and a chunk of skin missing the size of a baseball. That thing was nasty. Still up until the day before the race I thought I might run. I was trippin. Just then I started to realize how bad it was.
That same weekend I signed up for the Army 10 miler in October. Well, injured foot and all, I just started running again on Monday. 3 miles Monday, 5 today, and I really hurt. I know my body though and I’m sure I can be up to 10 by next weekend.
Of course I found out today that I’m going to be on a business trip in the Mojave Desert the weekend of the race. Me and plans don’t go together so well.
Still, I need to get back into the running routine so I’ll keep it up. I want to be ready for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in the Spring and the Rock n Roll half marathon next summer. Even if I can’t actually go to the races.
So, I’ll see you out on the W&OD!