I Run at Peace

Smoothly, as a fish up a stream,
Swiftly, like a river stone to the bottom of the sea,
I bounce, no more than a bubbling brook;
I pace, as an ever-rolling tide;
Forward, my spirit charges on!

I admit, as a poet, I am a hack. But these lines came together as I put all of my focus into moving smoothly. Today was the make or break day. My last long run had been cut short by knee pain, and even with extra rest this week, my short runs made me wince. But if I was going to have a shot at this thing, I needed to hit a 20-miler; today was it. My approach was decisive. I left the party early last night, didn't drink and went to bed. I woke up early, had a small cup of coffee to produce a movement (Fail!), stretched thoroughly, and took two Ibuprofen. Still, I was uncertain. Coming off some bad runs, aiming for 20 miles seemed like fantasy.

From the beginning, I was thinking about how I was going to be ready. Knee pain concerned me, but I didn't let it unsettle me. Every time I felt pain, I told myself to run smoothly, and I slowly added lines to this (personally) powerful stanza. The images helped me to streamline my gait, and I was just cruising! I felt no loss of energy until the last three miles when the final line was appended. As I "charged" back up the hills from the lake, my heart rate steadily increased, and I finished feeling spent, but satisfied. I am confident that I can run the marathon. I must take the through preparations--go to bed early, take ibuprofen, stretch and stretch and stretch--just as today, and hopefully that run will go just as well.

The post-run ice bath was a little lack luster. The water from the faucet wasn’t very cold, and the ice was melted almost by the time I got in. But my legs feel great nonetheless.

Today, my running just felt completely different. What I've done in the past suddenly seemed chaotic; wild arms flapping and awkward legs wrestling with the earth. Today, I was simply there, watching the ground pass effortlessly under my feet. The best run of my life.