So I mentioned I was kind of excited about running again. Unfortunately for you, that means running log posts. Like this one. <NelsonVoice>Haha!</NelsonVoice>
Actually, I don’t have much to report. Yes, I’ve been running, but I’m not crazy about it, like I used to be. No fanaticism nor narcissism here.
Since I basically stopped running, cold turkey, in 2011, I probably haven’t run more than 15 miles in a week in the last five years. Oh, there was a stretch after I moved to Colorado that I kind of got off my ass for a few weeks and had dreams of a masters 5K comeback, but I never really got serious, and then I got hurt. I also joined a social running group, but I would only meet them intermittently for a Saturday five miler. Residual fitness got me through.
Something happened recently though, and I don’t know what it was. I’ve missed the solo-ness of running I think. I took up snowboarding, I fished, I hiked, I didn’t run. I played in a men’s basketball league and in a couple co-ed soccer leagues, looking for competition again, and while I enjoyed them, it just wasn’t the same as running. While I need people occasionally, I do my best work in solitary. In fact, most of Knob has been written in my head while I run.
So about a month ago (two? three? I haven’t been keeping track) I started running roughly every other day. Some days it would be as short as 1.5 miles, and as slow as 10 minutes a mile. I just wanted to get out there. That’s always the first step. There is no other secret. Just. Go.
As I ran more, I wanted to run more, so I did. One Sunday I ran seven miles at just under 8 minute pace, and it felt easy. One Saturday I met the running group and ran with the fast dude, a 33-minute 10K guy, and while I’m sure he was slumming it with me, I kept up with him for a 7:30-ish seven miler. Three weeks ago I ran 4×800 on the track, and last week I did it again, this time 10 seconds faster than before. I started, gulp, reading Let’s Run again.
So some fitness is coming back slowly. Some days I don’t want to run, and so I don’t, which would have been unthinkable five years ago. Some days I feel great, and I “tempo” five-miles. I fartlek. I never wear a watch. I don’t log my runs. But I enjoy running. Which hasn’t been true for a long time.