on the iPod: "deep water" -- seal
Reading the newspaper and drinking coffee is a great way to start a morning, and something that i've done for years. It's pretty much my jumping off point seven days a week. There's a few different places that I like to go, and each one has different characteristics that make it unique from the others. Yesterday morning I deliberately chose the one that has a really huge window with which to watch the sky. It was balmy and overcast outside, which is weather that makes coffee and the newspaper that much better. Running, on the other hand? Not so much.
Weather is an odd commodity when it comes to running. I'm starting to realize that temperature isn't the prime factor in gauging how well a run will go. And that's even taking into consideration the sub-freezing Fayetteville Half Marathon that was only three months ago. What seems to be more important for me is the abundance of, or absence thereof, sunshine. Even the coldest of days, coupled with a bitter wind, are completely okay as long as the sun is shining. It's as if the rays give me energy and the need to run. And the summer months, hot as hell and dripping humidity, are no different. My earliest memories of running, in fact, are associated with late afternoons in August. I'm not for sure if there is a more miserable time in terms of weather. But when I see the sun pounding down and shining just west of directly overhead, I know it's time to run. It's as if I have to do it.
Yesterday morning was so incredibly lacking in sunshine that I came really close to bailing on the whole thing and going home, but when I put my earbuds in and heard Snoop Dogg's "Nothin' But a G Thang" rolling, any ideas of not running were lost. Instead I broke off 10 miles. Like it was nothing.
I headed out solo on the streets of Fayetteville, avoiding the trail system for the first portion in an effort to keep myself occupied with things to see. I had forgotten that the SEC Indoors were being held on campus all weekend, but was immediately reminded when a contingency of the Auburn team breezed passed me so fast that I may as well have been standing still, picking my nose. It was impressive. I noticed their strides seemed to be so effortless and smooth. It made me wish that I had done something productive during my college years, as opposed to laying up on Dickson Street at all hours of the night with my rowdy, drunken friends. We were pretty good at that, however. I digress.
Not to be outdone, my own pace wasn't without a tempo. I can tell that i've increased speed over the last year and am anxious to see what that will equal in terms of a time next weekend at the Little Rock Half Marathon. It was my first distance race last year and i'm very much ready to show up big again. The course is relatively flat and easy, and there are tons of spectator spots along the way. It's nothing like the estimated 1.2 million people along the route of the Chicago Marathon, but Little Rock natives can hold their own.
It will also be great to see friends who live in Little Rock -- Nab, Russ, Uncle Steph, Big Will, my cousin Jane, Chris and Suzon, and undoubtedly I'll run into more unexpected old friends. I really like the River Market and surrounding neighborhoods, the entire city is a pretty cool place. Plus there's something special about running in my state's capital. Not to mention the GINORMOUS finisher's medal. It's by far the largest medal of any distance race in the states. This year's spins on it's own axel. Sweetness.
This afternoon seemed like a great day to get out of town for a bit, so I headed for some hiking after church. Best decision all weekend. The sun still seemed to allude NWA, but that was okay as the overcast skies made the trails and woods of Devil's Den even more serene and contemplative. With the caves being closed due to the possible issues with native bat species getting sick, the trails were virtually empty of other hikers. The occasional family or couple passed by, but not for long as solitude engulfed the valley. Midway down the trail I stopped and sat on an outcropping that overlooks the state park below. The view is expansive and humbling, particularly when i'm able to lose myself in the quiet of the moment. I've sat there many times over the years; It's a place where I love to be with people that are important in my life. I want to experience with them. Today I probably sat there for twenty minutes, but it felt like hours. It was outstanding. There is so much to be said for stopping to relax for a while, enjoying the beauty that surrounds us only miles away from the street lights and neighborhoods. The cars and shopping centers. Work. Concrete.
I'm looking forward to starting the week and fully expect to feel that race week excitement. Race weeks are great because the intensity and anticipation grows with each day, building to a feeling of total excitement and preparedness. In many ways this will kick off a spring season of races, which makes me so incredibly happy. The culmination will be my second shot at 26.2 miles on May 1st, but i'm just as much looking forward to the other runs as well. So watch out Little Rock, take heed Chicago, get ready Bentonville, gird your loins Fayetteville, and, most of all, buck up Oklahoma City, because I'm heading your way and i'm ready to toe the line. It's gonna happen, I can feel it.
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