Five miles in the cold, early morning – this is my bread and butter run. This run is my base, my confidence boost I cherry-pick each week, knowing I can easily complete the distance. I let myself just run it at the pace that felt right, leaves crunching under my feet, past the quiet, dark houses. It was just me a few other runs and some cyclists. We were the only ones in on the secret.
These runs can feel a bit surreal at times. I get home, stretch, grab some water or strawberry milk if I’m starting to get hungry, and then jump in the shower. By the time I’m walking to work an hour later – when the sun has come up and the neighborhood is collectively on its way to work – it can feel like the cold, dark morning run wasn’t really a part of the morning, it feels like something that happened a long time ago, something a dreamed.
As I cram myself on to the train, make my way in to the city and get to my desk, there is no evidence that I even ran this morning. The sweat has been washed off and the tangles brushed out my hair. My running clothes are drying in the hamper, my shoes put away neatly and my Garmin is recharging in its dock. All of those things are at home and here I am part of the morning commute in to the city without any proof that this morning’s run was real.
The only reminder that I didn’t make it all up is the wonderful tired feeling in my legs as I walk up the stairs in the metro station or get up to make a copy at work. I love that feeling – not soreness or pain or fatigue, just the feeling you get when you know you’ve had a good run. My legs feel tired but ready for more. It is the little love note I leave to myself to make sure I remember the run was real.
Daily Dozen:
5.07 miles easy (10:03 pace)
Core work @ lunch hour (planned)
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