my life 2008

Perhaps my last?

I haven't done a 10 mile run since Balad. Jeff Baker and I signed up for the Army 10-miler because we were bored. We wanted something to look forward to, and it gave us that--twice. First, we looked forward to the race. Then we looked forward to recovering from the soreness.

I haven't done a long run in years ("long" being defined as "significantly greater than five miles"). Long ago, because running has long been my self-therapy, I ran 10 miles a day in Denver, after running up and down stairs and all about delivering papers (Rocky Mountain News) from 2 to 5 am every day. A couple of years later--for kicks and giggles--I ran about 15 miles at a stretch because I was bored on a summer afternoon in Virginia and wondered if I could do it. I did another 10 mile run in Georgia (again, just to prove to myself I could do it).

So, I was due. One of my colleagues (Andrea) asked me to join her and her husband (Francois, who did the Fort Collins marathon a month ago) on the Garden of the Gods 10 mile race. She said she didn't run very fast, so I agreed. We figured Francois would run the race for time and we'd trot along merrily. Francois decided to run with us, because he did 13 miles yesterday for fun and didn't feel like running for time this morning.

I never feel like running "for time," btw. I love to go out for a trot, but I hate racing. I'm in it for the physical stress release, the wonderful feeling of my muscles warming up, the adrenaline, the workout, and the psychological balance running affords me. (I discovered this when I was very young, and have used running as a mood stabilizer for my entire adult life; when some scientists recently produced findings that regular exercise was good for emotional well-being, I wondered why you'd need to research such a thing. Isn't it obvious?) I don't and have never run for time (unless I had no choice) because I don't have speed (I don't have the build) and because it distracts me from the zen state I achieve otherwise.

When I ran this morning, I didn't plan to run for time, so I didn't. The run was quite nice. It was through Garden of the Gods, of course, so you know it was beautiful. It was also irretrievably hilly. We were either climbing or running downhill (give me climbing any day). My knees are telling me they don't want to do that again.

To reiterate, I run at the Academy all the time, on equally hilly terrain. I just don't do 10 miles anymore. Methinks that was the difference.

I did a respectable time (I think): 1:45 or so. I enjoyed chatting with other runners along the way, too. Runners are like bikers: they feel an affinity with others who run/bike and treat them like automatic friends, so the run was enjoyable. My knees began to complain this evening after I rose from my well-earned nap.

Oh. After the run, we went back to Francois and Andrea's home and Francois cooked lunch for us. I don't think I mentioned that he's French, but do I need to? He prepared and served a proper four-course meal. Let's see if I recall...

First course: tomato and mozzarella salad with fresh basil; potato salad; bread with real butter; shrimp cocktail; and radishes. Second course: salmon broiled in lemon and dill; rice with a cheese and caper sauce; boiled cabbage; bread and butter. Third course: a variety of French cheeses to choose from with (of course) more bread. Fourth course: coffee and fresh pineapple cake with a light rum sauce.

So like I said, I waddled out of there eventually, came home, and took a nap. When I rose, I discovered that my knees are unforgiving. I wonder how long they'll punish me? I'm supposed to do Pike's Peak with Travis this week, darnit.

Travis is my cousin's eldest child. He came over yesterday to help me destroy my deck, and we got to talking about his plans for the summer, which included a "tester" 14er (fourteen thousand foot peak, of which Colorado has 54). I've done a few 14ers, and want to do one this summer, so I offered to join him for his tester trek. We're planning to do this Tuesday or Thursday, but now...only if my knees recover in time.

I'll save the deck destruction (or "deckstruction," as a friend of mine so deftly put it) for another time.

d