Date: Sunday Morning July 22, 2013
What: 35k Training Run
This could have been just any weekend in the life of a marathoner. Mileage to take care of, then on to all the other things that we put life temporarily on hold for. So many things put off, that the spectre of a long run, upwards of 3 hours on your own, becomes dreaded. Add in an early morning rise, bugs, summer heat and humidity, and we start wondering why we do this at all.
So we enlist some running friends to share the misery. The time will go by faster that way. However, some of those friends have buggered off to their cottages. Others have chosen to run early on Saturday, the only day I have to sleep in. And the one friend I had left to run with on Sunday morning suddenly cannot make it for legitimate reasons.
Training for marathons knows no short cuts. So it will be a solo run, like so many already in the books. Get up early, try not to make a disturbance, the rest of the family is still dead asleep. Then, it is out the door into the most absolutely gorgeous morning imaginable! Pure sunshine, a cool breeze and dry air rush to greet me. Park the car at Running Free and get going down to the lakefront trail.
Birds, waves, cool fresh air, brilliant sunshine, smiling greetings given from all I pass. These ARE the days that make running (even solo) worth it. Today I will finish seven consecutive days at 143 km, yet my legs cannot complain. I am running in paradise.
This is not the dream I had just the night before, a running dream where no one wanted to run with me. That dream was foretelling. Yet I could not feel any sadness from that dream, running alone in this morning masterpiece that the Creator has made.
My friends, this is why I run. For Sundays such as this one. Tonic for the soul.
What a great article Dan! As my life at home is very important to me, I often need to run alone. There are many days when I revel in the wonder of the beautiful world and I am very thankful that I can enjoy these days in a quiet solo run.
One of these days I might catch you guys on the waterfront path. You might catch me deep in thought but I’ll be happy to snap out of it to join the crowd.