it could have been ugly

it was still dark at 6:30 this morning when i laced up my shoes.
i hadn't run in a week and a half due to coming home from california with a head cold.
i was not looking forward to it.
i had already lost the challenge and my motivation had waned.

should i do the short loop twice or meet my friend the hill?
i decided to just face the hill.
i was dreading it. everyone was passing me. i felt sluggish, yet i felt i had started too fast and was going to have nothing left in my legs for the way home.

at a nice, steady pace it is a 5 minute hill.
thanks to some good music, i clocked 4:30 on that hill.
i thought i was struggling with each step i pounded.... yet the hill was telling me otherwise.

my body was moving with memory and ignoring my head that was trying to get in the way. i found a rhythm that was steady yet arguably difficult as i could not get my own voice to be quiet long enough to enjoy the downhill portion of my run.....

three blocks to go.
i wanted to quit so badly. the traffic lights were not even helping me out with a break.

i finished.
4 miles.
paula radcliff's voice comes over my nano to inform me that i have just completed my personal best for the mile....translation: i ran the fastest mile i have clocked since starting back.
how is that possible? what i thought was going to be a terrible, no good, very bad run.... wasn't.

Comments

Vicki said…
great post!
2:20 PM EDT
jeanette said…
you rock! 4 miles?! after almost 2 weeks off?
9:11 AM EDT
Leslie said…
wow, who's the writer now???
9:20 PM EDT
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