the last run of the year

thursday's mileage: 7.8

on the iPod: "bend and break" -- keane

Mrs. Pugh and I set out for a trail run in what was supposed to be sunny and in the sixties, but again the weather took a turn for the worse about an hour before we set out. Suddenly Fayetteville was overcast and balmy. And of course the wind showed up, too. It's as if we've been living a Groundhog Day experience with running and the weather! Multiple runs recently have been scheduled because of specific nice weather that then decides not to show up, replaced instead with less-than-ideal conditions. So we had two choices: call it off or suck it up. Of course there was really only one option and we went with it.

Patrick came with us again on his bike. He also brought the little next door neighbor girl, who's name currently escapes me. At any rate, it's great fun to have them with us. When Mrs. Pugh runs solo, all the neighborhood kids get on their bikes and ride along next to her. Sometimes she has upwards of five or six of them, like a pack of ducklings following the big momma duck. So funny.

We did an out-and-back starting from the creeper tunnel parking lot going south to the Mill District. The run out was fairly uneventful, with the four of us stretched out a bit, seemingly in our own little worlds. I was, at least, in my own little world; thinking about my existence (that's deep!) and pretty much just going through the motions of a mid-mileage run. Sometimes I can clear my thoughts and focus on the task at hand, other times running seems to only magnify my contemplations. This run was of the latter. Regardless, an hour and half spent running is infinitely better than an hour and a half spent doing practically anything else.

The run back found a clearing of the skies to allow the sun to make appearances on occasion. This also seemed to temper the wind. I continued to think, particularly about the nature of relationships and how so much of what happens in them is uncontrollable. That's a concept that tends to be incredibly difficult for me, but I do my best to take life's experiences as they are and be the best guy that I can be.

The miles flew by very quickly for me and we found ourselves back at our starting point. I wanted to get in a few more miles, but at the time it didn't dawn on me to do so. I could have so easily just kept running beyond the parking lot. I should have. Next time. There's always a next time.

I'm officially registered for the Little Rock Half Marathon in March and am excited to return to my first distance race. It was exactly this time last year that Mrs. Pugh talked me into trying a half and I couldn't be happier that she did. I'm tentatively setting a goal to run two fulls in 2011. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on May 1st is looking really tempting as a jumping off point to see that goal to fruition. I'll think about it over my next few runs and make a decision soon, even though there's a part of me that's already decided.

Run!