So, I was just having one of those days today. It started in the morning with simple physical uncoordinated-ness - ran into the shower with my coffee cup (not AS strange as it sounds if you remember that our shower is in the kitchen), knocked over the entire full water boiler over a counter that had (among other things) food on it, forgot my wallet when I went to the university - I'm sure you know those days.
Anyways, I made it through my four hours of linear algebra (my schedule is so relaxed, I guess I should work at least once a week, huh?) and had a nice lunch with C at home and then went into the city for a while. I was planning on going for a run with a friend of mine, but she ended up changing her plans so we couldn't go, and C was going to be in Frankfurt for the evening with another friend of ours. And all of a sudden I had nothing to do. But I decided that seeing as I hadn't exercised the last two days, why not go for it tonight.
So, I got myself into a bus and drove out to these woods that are kind of nearby and supposedly had good running trails, but I'd never been there before. I got there more or less in one piece, though the evening sun through the window and the warmth on the bus nearly put me to sleep. I wandered from the bus stop and followed people in jogging clothes until I found the start of all the trails. There were signs pointing that showed the directions of three trails - a 6 kilometer one, 10k, and 15k. My normal-but-still-rather-difficult-run (The 3 Bridges Run) is just under 8k. I decided I'd run the six until I got to the 4k mark and then turn around and have a good, round 8k. All of the trails start together and then branch off after a few kilometers, so I ran into the woods following the signs.
The woods are beautiful there and unlike the 3 Bridges Run, you don't see people that often. True, there are lots of runners and a few bikers, but you don't have to maneuver around families with strollers or the occaisional car that hasn't yet realized it's hopeless to drive there. The trees make you feel surrounded in a friendly, sheltering way and because of all the twists and turns of the path, you always feel like you're moving quickly, heading somewhere new.
As usual, around 3k, I just wanted to stop. I was done, had a stitch in my side, had a new mosquito bite - just wanted it to be done. But thank goodness, when it comes to exercise, I'm stubborn, so I kept going. And again, as usual, after that brief hiccup, things got better. So much better that when I got to the point where I saw the 4k sign, I went a bit crazy. At that sign, not only had I been planning on turning around and doing the same 4k all over again, but that was also the point that the 10k trail curved off to the right with the 15k one, whereas the 6k went to the left, making a loop back to where it had started. What did I do? Follow the other ones.
I don't want you to get too excited - I didn't do the 15 one, but I did manage the 10. And I say "manage" because it was a good deal more up-and-down than I'm used to on my 3-Bridges-Run. I ran about twenty minutes longer than I usually do - close to an hour and fifteen minutes. For me, that's not a great time, considering how I usually do for the 8k, but still - I never thought I'd be able to run that much. Ever. EVER! And I loved it.
Huck Finn was talking to me the whole time. I would have been laughing if I hadn't needed all my breath to keep running. I do recommend that book. There's a reason it's famous!
Okay. I'm gonna stretch a bit now and go to bed, or I won't be able to unfurl my muscles in the morning. I hope at least a few of you listened to my newest radio broadcast. Any other ideas for another one? Just let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment