Saturday, August 14, 2010

"If you were all alone in the universe with no one to talk to, no one with which to share the beauty of the stars, to laugh with, to touch, what would be your purpose in life? It is other life, it is love, which gives your life meaning. This is harmony. We must discover the joy of each other, the joy of challenge, the joy of growth." - Mitsugi Saotome

Today was supposed to be my rest day, but instead I changed my mind and went for an 8km run.  (Head's up mathletes, that's 5 miles.)  What was different today over other days, is that today was my first run in my area of the woods. 

I live in the country where roads bisected by other roads every two kilometers, up hills, down hills, blind corners, random dogs who want to join you on the run, people who drive too fast, too close or honk as they come up right behind you, instead of just driving by (I wonder if giving me a heart attack would be murder in this case - I suppose we could ask Officer McMeanie who took the time to spit a rock up at my ass - I wonder if he knows that the donut shop is open 24 hours?)

I did learn a few things about my run today:

1.  I did not have enough to eat before I went out.
2.  I did not drink enough water before I went out.
3.  I need to take advil before I go out.
4.  I really freakin' hate running in the country.

I may have already known #4, but whatever thoughts I had previously were reaffirmed today.  I got in my car and drove 4km and found that 4km brought me to the highway - can't really run on that, so I was basically forced to do the one thing I hate most about running - I ran 4km in one direction to run 4km in the opposite direction. 

The run itself wasn't so bad.  Despite items 1-4, about 1/2 my run was spent in the company of a black lab that I at first thought was coming to chew my leg off but wound up being encourating in his own sweet way.  But it was somewhere around the 5th kilometer that my left knee started to hurt, then my right ankle started to not just ache, but hurt.  I was not prepared for the unforgiving and uneven road surface of the county roads, nor was I prepared for the long incline of some of the roads. 

That said, I pushed through, right or wrong, I completed the run and have had bags of ice on my ankle through the night - which I find ridiculous but feels oh so good.  The injuries themselves are not new, years of cheerleading taking their toll, which makes me wonder if you really can't turn back time.

I guess we'll find out.