on the iPod: "blurred lines" -- robin thicke
My grandmother used to say that she was running a day late and a dollar short, and I always loved that. As summer officially ends tonight for teachers all over the state of Arkansas, I can say that I know how she feels. Between grad school, meetings at work, and training for the NYC Marathon, there hasn't been an hour in the day to sit down and think. It's my own fault, however, as i've continued to make time for running and having fun. The goal seems to be taking everything one day at a time and not getting overwhelmed with what's around the corner. I'm not gonna lie about it: right now i'm subsiding on coffee and sleep deprivation.
Yesterday was the 3rd annual Tiger Pride 5K, which raises funds for the Bentonville High School Cross Country team. Of course there was no skipping it, not that I would want to anyway, but I feel compelled to support the students who enjoy running much like myself. I got in 10 miles through downtown Bentonville before it ever started, lacing up at 6:00 a.m. when the trails were quiet and just barely waking from darkness. I cherish those moments dearly, when the world is still asleep. There is no movement around me, save for the occasional rabbit or, if i'm lucky, deer. But other than that, a wonderful, quiet stillness encompasses the minutes that seem to pass by slowly. Particularly gorgeous yesterday were the trails through Compton Gardens and Crystal Bridges.
Heading south, I turned around at the Bark Park as groups of runners emerged on the trail, probably training for their own fall runs. It was great to see a new friend, Beth Brown, near the Bentonville square, which was in full-swing with it's farmer's market. I stopped briefly enough to grab a drink of water before heading back to the high school for the final three miles in the 5K. It didn't help that I had already run 10, but even if I hadn't the results would have been the same: within 30 yards, the track team completely blazed past the 50 some-odd adults that were registered. This wasn't going to be a race at all, as we were left to finish with our times in the twenties. Sure enough, when I crossed the finish line somewhere around 27:00, the winner, a really strong senior named Jacob Shiriora had posted a time of 15:37. That's extremely fast for a high schooler and I couldn't help but think that the BHS boys were well on their way to a 5th straight state championship.
My reward were sore legs, which is something that I like. Odd, yeah, but I love the feeling, and suspect that many distance runners would agree. We headed out to Beaver Lake to our favorite cove and spent the afternoon laying in the sun, swimming, and catching up with friends. It's been a great summer for the lake and the available weekends are dwindling. Hopefully there will be a few more.
A great day ended with a great meal at the Venetian Inn, famously known for serving homemade spaghetti and fried chicken on the same plate. I pulled up my big boy pants and ate as much as possible, but couldn't clean my plate. Maybe next time.
School starts tomorrow morning promptly at 7:15 and i'll have 120 new students excited to be taking AP Psychology. Summer has been great, but the beginning of a school year is an exciting time, one that makes me happy to wake up each morning and go to work. Classrooms are great places and I hope my students enjoy their time in mine.
Run.
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