May 21 2010
A perfect run
My alarm went off at 5am Wednesday morning. For a minute I thought: I really don’t want to run today. It’s raining, it’s cool outside, I’m tired. My back hurts, my legs are sore, and I really want more sleep.
Then I got out of bed, ate breakfast, got dressed, stretched, and headed out for what turned out to be a fantastic run. Maybe even the perfect run.
Instead of rain, I ran through a fine mist. My wool long-sleeve shirt and glow-in-the-dark water repellant vest kept me warm and dry. After a warm-up walk/jog up my dirt road, I found my stride on the pavement. My goal was a tempo run: hitting a faster pace for a solid 7 miles to build endurance and speed. My last couple of tempo runs have been difficult and slower than I’d like.
This time, running was effortless. I loved striding through the early morning light, listening to the birds and watching the mist over the mountains. The air smelled cool and fresh, with a hint of lilacs. Running back up the hills on East Manchester Road I felt strong and energetic. I kept looking at my watch, thinking I can’t be running this well, this fast.
As I finished up the run down my familar dirt road, I thought how glad I was that I got myself out of bed that morning. Had I stayed in bed, I would have missed the rain, the birds, the feeling of effortless running. How often do we take the easy way out; how much joy do we miss?
I’m setting my alarm for early tomorrow morning, if nothing else to capture another joyful late-spring Vermont morning.