A Glorious Run
I know you've had one. What's great about A Glorious Run is that you can't plan one. They just happen. They are unexpected gifts dropped down out of heaven. The weather conditions may be perfect, or not. Your state of mind may be perfect, or not. Your training may be going exactly as you have planned, or not. It's nice if A Glorious Run happens on a race day, but if not, it's still a gift. I had one this morning.
After a very full race season, I found myself staring down the barrel of an angry knee. I kept pushing, and finally my knee said, "Enough!" So, I took two weeks completely off running, the longest break I've had since beginning my life as a runner 4 years ago. I had to miss a 5 miler that I had been looking forward to and a 5k obstacle race that I had WON an entry to. I ran exactly one mile last week. Being on Spring break this week allowed me to explore some different kinds of cross training-- yoga and lots of swimming. Well, ok, by "lots of swimming," I mean 5, 15-20 minute sessions of quasi-swimming. I can't say I like swimming. However, I've learned that my knee really does, and so I've endured it. As a matter of fact, my knee has felt so much better that I've been able to log 4 miles this week.
I woke up to rain this morning. A steady, drizzly kind of rain with no end. I thought I might run this afternoon, as I have been doing with these short 1 milers lately. The rain slowed to a cloudy pause, so I thought, "Why not?" I dressed in my running clothes today (as opposed to the cotton tees that I've been rebelliously wearing during my short runs), left behind my iPod and watch and headed out the door. Just a few hundred steps in, and the drizzle began again. And it was perfect. I took it slowly, praying my way through each step, grateful that my knee was fairly happy to be running. I smiled at the guy walking his dog and the cars that passed by, imagining the drivers shaking their heads at the crazy lady who was out running on such a rainy, sleepy morning. It was 1.7 miles, longer than I've run in 3 weeks. It was A Glorious Run.
After a very full race season, I found myself staring down the barrel of an angry knee. I kept pushing, and finally my knee said, "Enough!" So, I took two weeks completely off running, the longest break I've had since beginning my life as a runner 4 years ago. I had to miss a 5 miler that I had been looking forward to and a 5k obstacle race that I had WON an entry to. I ran exactly one mile last week. Being on Spring break this week allowed me to explore some different kinds of cross training-- yoga and lots of swimming. Well, ok, by "lots of swimming," I mean 5, 15-20 minute sessions of quasi-swimming. I can't say I like swimming. However, I've learned that my knee really does, and so I've endured it. As a matter of fact, my knee has felt so much better that I've been able to log 4 miles this week.
I woke up to rain this morning. A steady, drizzly kind of rain with no end. I thought I might run this afternoon, as I have been doing with these short 1 milers lately. The rain slowed to a cloudy pause, so I thought, "Why not?" I dressed in my running clothes today (as opposed to the cotton tees that I've been rebelliously wearing during my short runs), left behind my iPod and watch and headed out the door. Just a few hundred steps in, and the drizzle began again. And it was perfect. I took it slowly, praying my way through each step, grateful that my knee was fairly happy to be running. I smiled at the guy walking his dog and the cars that passed by, imagining the drivers shaking their heads at the crazy lady who was out running on such a rainy, sleepy morning. It was 1.7 miles, longer than I've run in 3 weeks. It was A Glorious Run.
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