A Club All Their Own

Starting my day early is not my idea of fun. Especially when it involves getting up and running with people that are probably going to be a heck of a lot faster than you. My coach has decided that it would be in my best interest to run with the cross country kids [some of my good friends] on Mondays and Wednesdays. Well, I'm a mid-distance kid. That's not to say that I haven't run my extra miles before. I've run cross country, and I've fought the pain and built up endurance. But I never thought I'd be ready to run with the fast kids. At least not today.

The morning started as usual. Tired bodies lay haphazardly in the turf room, asking for another five minutes rest, or some forgiveness before they endure on another torture session. You jog for six minutes, stretch for one, then head out without warning. Today's adventure? The famed Tree Farm run. Oh happy, happy. A great big joy, joy. Not to say I wasn't excited to run it, because I actually was. It was a perfect morning to run; gray skies and a slightly windy/humid morning with absolutely no sunlight. I was in heaven. I kept up with some friends. But we didn't talk. We acted like "responsible" runners and paid attention to the task at hand. The occasional cough, clearance, and spit was accepted. Normal in this case. And I could care less. Because I do it too. The commercially paved trail seemed endless, but beautiful. Entrapped between rows of soggy, winter-weathered trees shaken of their covers to bask in the season's frigid rays. A quiet hush fell upon the group. The rhythmic pat of feet on the concrete path could really hypnotize somebody. I relaxed my shoulders and concentrated on things other than running. I had finally found my "zone". But by the time we hit mile 2 1/2, I wasn't having it. I needed to spit. I needed water. I wanted to be done. The pain of training was setting in. I had forgotten that running sucked sometimes. But I didn't stop, or slow down. I kept going because I was having some bitter fun. And at the end, when I had really boxed up my pain and went numb, I ran past those friends I had been pacing with. Amazingly. And I was done. And that was that. My first Runner's Club run had been complete. Amen.

So, this 'perfect' half of a month so far has been really good to me. I'm really pleased with December right now. We're making friends again. Really, really good friends. I'm welcoming the cold temperatures with a batch of cookies and a smile on the way out the door. Confidence is slowly coming back. I guess. And I am so ready for Christmas break. More than you could ever possibly know. Ever. Ever, ever, ever, ever.

Ever.

But, for even closer dates, I'm looking forward to this Friday, skipping school and spending the afternoon downtown at the convention center for the RUNNERS EXPO OH8! But then, I'm also excited to spend my entire Sunday downtown, with my family, to watch my dad run the rock. White Rock Marathon that is.

until then,
keep it real,
- Alex