Feeling Good.
I’ve been running on the same trail for the past month, every time I run, that’s where I go. It’s been a task enduring the monotony, but a necessary evil so that I can judge whether my hip is improving/healing or not (more distance, less pain, blah blah). Last week Karen suggested I seek out some different terrain, and she granted me permission to rock Flagstaff Mountain, so that what I set out to do.
Chugging up that trail helped me remember what the heck I’ve been working towards all this time. I remembered that I love being in the mountains, I love the challenge, the lack of breath, the beating of my heart, and the burn in my muscles. I actually made it up the 1200 foot 1.5 mile climb in 20:44. A few minutes off my old best, but no walking was needed and the hip held up like a champ. Phew.
One of the things I love about the Flagstaff Mountain trail in particular is that I never see anyone on it, despite the fact it’s smack dab in the middle of bTown. I did however run into one person on my way down. I could hear the chap from a few hundred yards away. And as I got closer I could make out his words and see that he was jogging in somewhat strange thirty foot spurts. He was yelling “COME ON RUN, DO IT, RUNNNN!!!”. It was the strangest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. I mean I totally understand that some people pump themselves up in different ways, but this guy was a bit off his kilter. His body had obviously given up running and was quickly rejecting all verbal encouragement or threats. The poor chap was yelling at himself, as if his brain was having a fight with body. I was slowly jogging towards him just staring in wonder. He continued to walk as I neared, he had no idea I was even remotely close. He glanced up, surprised to see me, as I suppressed a chuckle. “You got it man, yer almost there…”.
My running is becoming more fluid, and as I glided over a series of rocks I felt my world coming together. My feet were dancing over the rocks and my speed was comfortable. Dancing, that’s it. I’d never connected that before. My close friends know that I love to get out on the dance floor, but I’d never made the connection between mountain running and dancing. When I was a little and playing soccer my pops constantly had me work on foot speed to improve my dribbling. And that’s one of those unspoken things that has addicted me to mountain running, foot speed. If your feet don’t keep up with your body, you’re bound to fall. And that certainly has happened to me on several occasions. Today though, I felt like I was moving to a hidden beat, found only in my head. Without much thought my feet moved an intricate path through the rocks and I felt at home. I’d finally gotten back to my comfort zone, albeit a bit slower. I felt good, I feel good.
Filed by ryanroth at September 9th, 2007 under Life, Mowntins, Young & Hip