gone running

last night i went for my first run since may. the last time i ran, it was hot and humid, i ran on the road, i had some carboplatin in my system, and i just felt like sh*t. i decided i didn't like running anymore. and if i didn't like it, i shouldn't be wasting my time doing it. so there. something i'd been doing for fifteen years or so went by the wayside. my knees and hips thanked me. i didn't really miss it.

yesterday i got the biggest hankering for a run. it was hot and sunny, and while i'd been looking forward to 'cross practice and playing the all-important role of rear-bringer-upper, sometimes i start worrying a bit about my heart and overdoing it in the heat. i wanted to get outside and do something, but i didn't want to do it in the sun, at my max heartrate. all of the sudden, the desire to feel the pounding of the earth below my feet took over and i found myself counting the hours until i could escape to the laurels for a run. i wanted to hear my footsteps and see the creek and smell the trees.

i laced up my still-new running shoes and headed out down the trail, and for a split second or two i had the lingering doubt in my head that this wasn't what i enjoy doing, so why do it. riding my bike is so much more fun. but as i turned a corner and saw a cow lounging in the creek and noticed some leaves beginning to change, i remembered my roots and was overcome with relief that my old friend hadn't completely deserted me as i had it; i found a pace that was as comfortable as an old pair of jeans and settled in. i enjoyed it. i can start being a runner again, at least a little bit.

and just in time.

the Free to Breathe Lung Cancer 5K is around the corner... mark your calendars for the morning of November 2 at 8am at Boathouse Row in Philadelphia. I'll be there, doing my best to keep Jimnerd in sight as I run a blistering 10 minute mile pace (or slower) over the flat-as-a-pancake three miles.

go here for more details and to register. http://www.freetobreathe.org/

i'd love to go for a run with you.