This week I spent more than 12 hours in a car driving for work. The work I did was worth it, but my body felt more than lethargic. Last night when I got home, I had to muster all of my strength just to eat some food before crawling into bed. Long days do that sometimes. I had every intention of popping right out of bed and into my running shoes, but when the alarm went off and my eyes had to open, I knew it was not happening. Rest is what I needed.
However, after another day in the car, my legs needed an outlet. So after work, I promptly put on my layers for a really cold run-walk. It was 5:30pm so rush-hour traffic was at its peak. So I went to where the cars weren’t and I could just do my thing. That is the great thing about living near the river… no cars, just the trees, the snow, and my feet. I’m not sure if it was all the rest that I’ve given my body over the past couple of months, but I felt like I was flying down the trail. I didn’t see anybody on the trail… it was just me. I felt this complete sense of peace and calm in my body, in my mind, and I remembered that THIS is why I run… THIS is why I do triathlon. It’s for the sense of peace that I get when my heart is pumping, my nose is running, my feet are thudding, and my breath is laboured. It was dark out, the trees were sparkling from the snow, and my breath looked like smoke coming out from under my neck-warmer.
I have no idea how long it took me, but it felt like my fastest run of the year. It was effortless. I had to make myself walk periodically, but all I wanted to do was run and run and run until I passed out. But I know my injury well and know that I must not push it even close to my limit. So I just enjoyed the break in between the bursts of flying through the crisp air. Amazing. Purely amazing.
