Well it finally happened. Seth and I are both nursing old injuries after starting our training program. I have a foot injury - thanks to old running shoes and Seth has a bothersome ankle injury that has decided to resurface. We took a week off to rest our injuries and nurse them back to running shape with aleve, ice, and stretching. Last night was our first run and I'm happy to report, we both felt great afterwards. Tonight will be the real test as we head back out for another run before flying out to Boston early in the a.m. We're both really nervous as the half-marathon is 53 days away and we have not successfully completed a long practice run thanks to the holidays, weather, and now these injuries.
It will also be difficult to get back into our running routine and pick up where we left off, especially with the Boston trip. They have had a record winter with ice storms, freezing temps, and lots of snow. Although I enjoy running in the cold, conditions in Boston are such that it really isn't feasible to run on the road. There's salt, puddles, snowbanks, and ice. Guess what that means. Staying inside and running on a treadmill. I hate running on treadmills. It's boring and I'm often distracted by whatever is going on around me. I will really miss the trails at Town Lake and especially running at night. I enjoy the feel of the crisp night air, the Trail of Lights at Zilker and of course the Austin skyline. Most of all, I will miss that time with myself. That time when everything goes away and I focus on just running and nothing else. It's strange how it happens. With each footfall, I'm thinking only about the trail ahead. I'm not fretting about all of life's worries or silly things. There's also fewer people on the trails so I'm not constantly fighting the urge to run faster because people are passing me.
But it's a small sacrifice to spend time with family and friends. It will indeed be a sweet homecoming as well as possibly a white Christmas. Austin doesn't get those too often. I can't wait to trudge through the snow and feel that bitter wind biting at my face. As weird as it sounds, I miss it sometimes. I have a lot of fond memories strolling through Boston or Cambridge with friends commiserating about how cold it is while quickening our pace to get warm and then feeling the blast of hot air upon entering a restaurant.
Here's to getting into the spirit of Christmas by enjoying and celebrating time with loved ones and of course remembering those we've lost. Happy Holidays!
