A Knight in Shining Under Armour

Posted on October 3, 2010

It must be a Saturday thing…training runs that just never seem to end, even before they get started.  The kind where your legs are back home but you’re logging miles at the reservoir…your head is on line or in the clouds – anywhere but in the run.  Why does it feel like it never gets any easier?  Why?  anyone….?

OK, it starts with those darn first three miles.  You remember, the ones where you should never make a decision.  Not the turn right vs. left decision, but the “man my knee is so sore/wind is really blowing/it’s too hot/humid/cold so I think I will cut this short” decisions.  By now, even I can get past the first three miles before I quit.  But today HAD to be different.  I’m at DEFCON OCTOBER and that meant my Saturday 20s HAD to start.  I mean, there will only be three of them, so there was no turning back.  (technically they could be Sunday 20s but why quibble?)

The day was gorgeous.  It qualified as a “stop running long enough to take cell phone photo of the scenery and post it on facebook kind of autumn day.”  Which I did this morning.  I ran, I put on headphones, took off headphones, smiled at the other runners, race walkers, and nodded at the stroller pushers, bike riders and nature photographers.  That makes it sound as crowded as Central Park, doesn’t it?  In fact there were about ten other runners, and maybe ten of all the rest combined.

I had a bag with supplies – water and a power bar and other stuff…which I dipped into on every 4 mile loop.  But coming up the oh-so-slight incline headed into mile 16 I just stopped.  Foot cramps, fatigue, boredom…it hit me like a fence (since now I know what “THE WALL” feels like I am compelled to admit this was not that).   I walked about two minutes and appearing out of the mist (figurative mist for dramatic emphasis) was my pal Ken!  I wiped the tears…errr…sweat from my eyes and picked up my pace a bit.  I admitted I was struggling to finish and considered calling it quits.  But a TRUE friend doesn’t let you quit.  He does, however, give you time to take off your sneaks, roll your toes on the grass to relieve some foot cramps, drink a bit of water and re-group.  All of which I did.  Quickly.  And then we were off for the last loop.   I got to know him a bit better and his light conversation was interesting so it took my mind off of my aching shins and feet for most of the way.  Then we came to the place where I left my bag and he said – “I’ll go get your stuff.  You take a minute break and then we’ll SPRINT the final quarter mile to the cars.”  What a really nice guy.   And that’s exactly what happened.  And now he knows what I look like at near puke in the shrubbery.  But I did it – 20+ actually…thanks to the Knight in Under Armour.

Categories: Goals and Motivation, Uncategorized