Ode to running

I love running.

I love cold runs. I love hot runs.

I love running without a shirt.

I love running with too many shirts.

I love doing more loads of running running clothes than you do regular laundry.

I love running at 5am when the rest of the dorm is asleep.

I love those races nobody knows about.

I love shrugging off a run saying it was only seven miles.

I love race numbers.

I love trainers, flats, spikes, and trail shoes

I love 1am runs

I love night runs

I love trail running

I live for coming back with muddy calves and dirt splattered shorts

I live for running in the mud/ snow/ hail/ rain/ whatever nature throws at me

I live for coming back night soaked to the bone, freezing cold, standing in my running gear saying "that was one hell of a night"

I love six hours a week away from everybody

I love six hours a week praying

Because for those six hours a week, I'm somebody. I'm myself. Just me, and the six miles of road in front of me. But then, I'm also nobody...

I don't even really know what an ode is. The only ode I know of is Ode to Joy, and that's a song, so I really don't know what I just posted. That was really just something I made up while I was on a runner's high last night. But I do love running. I even love speedwork sometimes. Plus, I just got back from a brutal speedwork session just now, so that works well. I am writing this over the course of two days, if you didn't notice. Yesterday was fun. It was dark, and cold, but I felt great. I stayed right with my coach Dave, which I don't do that often. He would throw in a surge, then I would counter, and so on. I mean, we weren't going all that fast, sub 8:00's I think, but nothing wrong with that though. I always get killed on the downhills though. Everyone's just bigger than me so when they start going downhill, its all over. No big deal.

Today's workout was brutal. A set of 6 quarters, then a 800 jog, then 6 more quarters. It was a bit chilly, but I was soaking when I came back. I may do a little recovery run in a couple hours, but only if I feel like it. You know, it actually wasn't that bad. I was in the 1:45- 2:10 range for all of them, and it felt pretty easy. I'm going to have to really hammer on my tempo on Friday.

Also, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's are on running warehouse. I already have mine ordered, I'm looking forward to them.