I turned 17 and my mom made a delicious pork tenderloin dinner - my favorite. I decided soon after dinner that I wanted to go for a birthday run. I was in my little hometown of Spencerport, NY. Now, I was a weekend warrior at bet - I would go out and run 2 miles at a time, maybe a couple of times a week very sporadically. But I decided to run. I remember wearing this thin purple top that wasn't really a running short and big gym shorts. It was about 7:30 or so, and I remember running over the bridge near the Erie Canal. As I climbed over the bridge, at a pace much slower than I run now, I began to cramp up and it was very painful. Clearly, my dinner was too heavy. I know I got through that run, but I still to this day remember the deep stitch in my side, and I've never felt that bad.
I have since conquered that bridge and also figured out the timing between eating and running. That bridge nearly always figures into my runs at home. And I have to laugh now when I think of that run. I was just so inexperienced but obviously still felt some reason to go and and run.
Flash forward to June 19, 2013
I turned 27 in Washington, DC and also wanted to get in a run. I did it this time before dinner. It was just 3 miles, over 300 miles away from that other birthday run. But I also went over another bridge (going over I-495), so instead of crossing the historic Erie Canal, I crossed over highway traffic. It was just for fun, my little me time. No cramps, no worries. Just fun and enjoying the beauty of the run.
No particular milestones associated with turning 27, nor the end of 26. It was a great year but it also presented challenges and tough moments as well. Getting through those hard parts were also rewarding too.
My time is running out on the East Coast. I fly out to Santa Cruz on Sunday for seven weeks of rip roaring fun with gifted children and faculty in an intense academic exploration program. And I am excited - I love this program very much and it is incredibly stimulating and rewarding. And fun too! But I am sad too, and feeling the crunch now of fitting in time with everyone: family, friends, Pat before I go.
I am very much enjoying the fun runs right now. I've been picking the mileage and pace as I go. Some days the watch stays behind, other days I try and press the pace. I won't do another race until the Wharf to Wharf 6 mile at the end of July. It won't be a goal race for sure, as I won't follow a schedule again until early July. But it will be after a month of Santa Cruz running. This is where I do my best running all year, mainly because it is all hills all the time and perfect weather (50-75 degrees each day). But I am getting ahead of myself. Still here and hot in DC!
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