Yesterdays run was short, due to a road weary body... I drove to Indiana to surprise someone special (which worked out very well). So, the plan was to get a longer run in today after loosening up a bit yesterday. It was a morning run (not always a strong suite of mine) and the weather was already warm and pleasant. Indianapolis has a nice city park along the White River and I managed to find my way to a trail between the river and the zoo. The trees are blooming and the air is warming up to the idea of Spring. However, my body was tired... I haven't done runs on consecutive days for quite some time, and I could feel the stress of my first attempt at it. All of this added up to a decision, press through... or give up. I have been "giving up" a lot lately.
Today I did my best to press through. I carried with me the inspiration of a fellow runner... Tom Nichols, Graceland alum, and top 50 finisher at the Boston Marathon 2008. Tom is not only a great guy (generally speaking), he is a perfect example of how hard work and perseverance can put the pieces together to achieve greatness. This is one of the things that I love most about running as a sport. It is why running proves to be such a potent metaphor and parallel for much of what goes on in my life... because it is rarely about the short term, and almost always judged in some sort of long term perspective. There are many collegiate runners (in any division) that would have beaten Tom during our college days... most of them will NEVER run 2:29 at Boston. Tom is an example of sticking to a way of life... making running a "part of who you are" to achieve... and this past weekend it all came together into one GREAT race. Congrats to Tom, and thanks for inspiring me to squeeze an extra mile out of my run today. I am on my way with "small" steps, and thankful for all the help I can get.
Today: 3+ miles (over 30min with a short break to watch some turtles)
Week: 6 miles
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