Primitive run

Yesterday, I checked the weather around 1:00 to discover storms were expected later in the afternoon, when I had originally planned my run. The rain was falling steadily, and as I checked over my gear, I discovered I had left my watch at Jud’s apartment. Using the Forerunner is difficult in the rain because the GPS device seems to struggle to maintain a signal throughout the run, waiting outside as it searches for the five nearest satellites can be trying. My heart-rate monitor, which I rarely use anyhow, was at home. I did, however, have everything else I would need to run and then shower and change later. I decided to go out for a primitive (technology-free) run.

I planned to run my normal on-campus route, down Dryden Rd and then along the Recreational Way, hoping to hit the 0.25-mile marker (approximately one mile from the lab) before turning around. My “ideal run” goal was to reach the end of the trail before turning back, putting my total distance near four miles. I walked a little to warm up before starting. The rain was still falling steadily.

There is something about running in rain (when it is above 45 F or so) that is good for the soul. The steady pattering drowns out the noises from the road, so the runner hears only her feet striking the ground, her steady breath, the wind she generates, and the occasional chirp of an encouraging bird.

Add to these effects an utter lack of technology, the inability to monitor progress in any objective sense, and you have the setting for a great run.

And so it was that yesterday, as I reached the recreational way, I realized I was having fun. Nothing hurt, nothing felt forced. I wasn’t thinking about how long it would be until I needed to take a walking break or how long I could go without them. I was listening to the rain and the birds and noticing that the leaves are finally starting to change around here. I let go of all the things I normally worry about and enjoyed the trip instead. I just ran. That was enough. I turned around at the end of t he trail, stopped briefly to adjust my contact, and picked up the pace for the trip back. I reached the lab easily, fully aware I could have run several more miles, but also sure that I had gone far enough and needed to get back to work.

Yesterday’s run was amazing. Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the negatives with running. Plans seldom go as well as one would hope, especially in running. In a hard training program, you adjust to a constant soreness in your legs as you constantly push yourself a little harder. You think about the races you’ve failed to start, the mileage goals you’ve failed to accomplish, and the nagging injuries that may be coming back to haunt you once again. And then, if you’re lucky, you have a run like the one I experienced yesterday. And all is forgiven and forgotten, and you can’t wait to hit the road the following day.