Lethargy

For the last few days, I've been physically drained. You know the part in the Disney version of Hercules when Hades makes the deal that to save Meg, Herc has to give up his god-like strength and be a weakling? Kind of like that, only without the huge guns. Yesterday, after making a pilgrimage to Whirlaway to get my new orthotics and drool over all the running clothes and unsuccessfully inquire about a job (and stopping at the MSPCA for some quality time with some deserving doggies), I came home and passed out for 4 hours. I was absolutely fried. I woke up today feeling the same- just no energy. But by around 4 pm, I mustered enough motivation to drag myself out the door. I wore one of my Boston Marathon volunteer jackets, a fluorescent yellow-green number, to reduce the chance of being hit by a car by a couple percentage points. Because I was feeling so reluctant, I allowed myself to bring my iPod along. I also wore my new shoes and orthotics for the first time.

It was a 4 miler on a course that I run at least once a week. What I noticed about the run that it felt like it was taking me longer than usual to reach certain spots on the course. I attributed this to my lack of energy and forced myself to keep going. Every so often, my feet would twinge, complaining about their new surroundings. Eventually, I found a groove, probably around the time that Counting Crows' "Mr. Jones" came on. One of the things I love about running on the roads around my house is that it's entirely possible to never see a passing car. Downhill from my house is an open property where a couple of cows are usually hanging out, watching me run by. The route I ran today features a nice pond that's very picturesque when flowers are blooming or snow has freshly fallen. Today, it was kind of in an in-between state, like it was waiting for spring to arrive (aren't we all?!)

The last leg of the Cedardale loop is Governor's Road. No matter what, that road seems to suck all the remaining energy out of me. Maybe it's because I have to be hyper-vigilant in order to avoid twisting my ankle, given that the winter weather hasn't treated the Governor especially well. Also, ever since I first started running with my dad, I've kicked at the end of every run. I feel that it's an important habit to develop; no matter how exhausted you are, you always leave something in the tank for the end. Speaking of Dad, as I was suffering on Governor's Road, I saw him walking toward me. I'm very proud of him because he's made walking every day a routine and now walks at least all the way around the block (2.3 miles). Eventually, I hope he can join me on the bike for my long runs in preparation for Middlebury. He obviously could tell I was struggling and offered some words of encouragement as I dragged myself past him.

With my biggest fan before the Clipper Relays, September 2007

Once I turn the corner where Governor's meets Seven Star, I'm home free. It's a flat straightaway to the finish- my driveway. I picked up speed and click my watch to stop the timer. After I lean over and spit, I check the time. 33 flat. I ran it about as fast as I raced Claddagh on Sunday, although this might not be a fair comparison because Cedardale doesn't include a mountain. A fair comparison would be saying that this is the fastest I've run that loop so far this year. Looking through my log later, I realized that it was also my fastest paced training run so far this year of any distance (in other words, I'm getting faster!!). As I'd promised myself before I finished the run, I did 4 strides. They felt amazing, like I was flying. For someone with as sloppy, awkward form as myself, this is a big deal. It was one of those rare moments when running actually felt natural. In the words of the great philosopher Charlie Sheen, I felt like a total bitchin' rock star from Mars.

Not bad for a day that getting out of bed was a struggle.