Spring

Saturday I woke up and knew I needed a long run. I have a Half marathon coming up in a week and am seriously undertrained. I am so very unprepared...I have never been this 'not ready' EVER. I always have a plan and follow it...not always as closely as I would like but close enough to feel prepared. Not this time. I have had zero motivation. The weather has been cold and icky. The new puppy needs attention. Life is getting in my way all over the place. I can think of every excuse in the book and will pay for it soon.

So I decided not to waste a beautiful morning....but it was no easy task. I found excuse after excuse not to leave the house...laundry, puppy, dishes, puppy, change clothes, puppy, charge ipod, puppy...the list when on and on. Finally my son said, "Mom when are you leaving?" I knew it was time. I strapped on a water belt and my 'new to me' Garmin and headed out the door determined to run at least 5 miles. It was a perfect morning. The weather was great but I was nervous. Had I dressed properly? Did I remember Gu? Did I apply enough Glide? Every doubt crept in between the earbuds and into my brain.

I started slow and knew I was not going to get much faster....this was not a run about speed. It was about putting one foot in front of the other for 5 miles. I was undecided as to which way to run...do I run out to the path and follow that or do a loop in the neighborhood? Decisions....

I let my feet decide and soon I was headed on a loop I had not run since last summer winding through my neighborhood streets. As a moved forward my legs started to loosen up and so did my mind.

Soon it was time to turn towards home and head further out....I chose to continue on. The great thing about this loop is that I can head home anytime...but I didn't.

The intoxicating smells of spring filled the air ...the hyacinth, laundry, and BACON! The sun was rising higher in the sky and so were my spirits. I kept trudging along...I would love to say there was a spring in my step as well as the air...but that was not the case. I am old and under trained. I am slow. It is all ok...I am at peace with it all.

As a jogged past 2 ladies out for a walk I heard one of them say, "oh to be young again and able to run..." I was reminded that I am not THAT old and I can still run...no matter how slow.

I headed up the last block towards my house dog tired and ready to be done after having run 10 miles. It was not easy nor fast. This run was the run I had waited all winter for...spring.