Son of the Sun

Here comes the sun. I have delighted in that inevitable part of many runs. I love the heat, and summer has just officially arrived. On a recent trip to Mexico I encountered a kindred spirit, Alvero. He wore a medium jacket in the 65 degree morning. Alvero lamented that it took too long to get warm. He said, “I am a son of the sun." This point of connection opened several other conversations for us about language, culture and history.  All as I found a brother of the warmth. 

Here in Atlanta it's finally breaking 90 degrees. I may be one of the very few who celebrates such a marker.  Earlier in the month we were in the southwest. The “lowest” high daily temperature there was 103.  I relished the dry heat.  Of course I took advantage of the opportunity and ran during a mid-day high temperature of 112 degrees. It was glorious.

This son of the sun joins Alvero and others like us in the welcoming of summer.

Sun up or sun down, Run!

Tom

Turn Left at the End of the Line

Greetings! Our home county is the best of the worst when it comes to running paths. All across the county there are a number or trails, each highly touted, however few are complete. We have everything from a half mile to just shy of two miles. Every trails is said to expand or connect to others. I've been waiting for over five years for some of these extensions to take place. Recently, a new trail came on line, and a local running specialty store even conducted a 5K race to celebrate it.

I had the notion that this course connected some of the existing lines.  Imagine my surprise when the path ended at a hair past a mile and a half. Don't get me wrong, the trail is beautiful and it’s a grand avenue for walkers and people out exercising their dogs. For, me this was simply an irritation. 

I exited at the “temporary” end and ran on a busy 6 lane divided highway. After a bit I turned off to run through a very large subdivision under construction. Next, I meandered through town and made my way back to the beginning of the route. I put up around six miles. Given, all the complaining I did at the end of the trail, and in the words above, I had a fantastic run. I took to streets I have never experienced as a runner in nearly 10 years of living in this area. It was a humid morning in the high 70s and I enjoyed every step of the run.

Trail. Road. Run.

Tom

Welcome Southwest Surprise

We exited at Sunland Park Drive. Immediately I lamented the retail hub being the surroundings for the run I'd take the following morning. Then I gave it little thought as we enjoyed a fabulous evening in El Paso, TX, including dinner at the Hoppy Monk. 5:00 am arrived and I thought only to run opposite of the cluster of staunchly middle class stores. Within a half a mile, to my delight, I crossed the New Mexico state line. Shortly thereafter I ran over the Rio Grande River. Those sorts of things don't happen around most shopping plazas.

When will I ever learn the concrete oasis of shoppers doesn't have to equate to a lackluster environment for running? I rambled around water canals, past horse stables and ran through dry water runoff beds. Sparse grass, cacti, rocks and sand decorated the ground as a rose hue back light the craggy mountains. The desert morning air was crisp and cool. Mud packed ground had split from constant baking in the sun and didn't offer any give under foot.

I scurried up a slight hill, which offered a view across the valley floor. Majestic! Once again, I found myself deeply entranced by the spell of the desert. No matter what continent, the desert touches me deeply. I love the landscape, the critters, the dry heat and the mystique of the dusty land. I long for it.

Run by store. Run in the desert. Just Run!

Tom

Just Jogging

Greetings!  Oh how I love running in on warm days! Yesterday was pure bliss for me. The sun was shinning and I had time for a midday run. I ran in a park that occasionally houses a cross-country race. I have participated in races on the course a number of times. During this run as part of daily exercise, I thought back on previous races. Oddly, I remembered a great deal even though the last time I raced there was some years ago. I recalled the dampness of the fields, other runners and how I felt at specific turns on the course. It was fun to flash back. After about a mile I found myself thinking about other races.

Often in the moment, I find racing a bit brutal, both physically and psychologically. It was much nicer to think about the experience ex post facto. Reflecting on racing while having an afternoon jog didn't have me bound up worried about finishing time or anything else. I just thought about the act of racing. For me race days are filled with patterns and rituals

I wake up very early in the morning with pre-race anxiety. I have water, but no food. I putz around the house to keep my mind busy. I do not like to arrive at the race site too early. Once there I prefer to have only enough time to confirm registration and to get in a one mile warm up jog, this is especially true in the winter.  Next comes the interesting task of finding a comfortable and fitting place at the start line.

Once the race begins I get into my least favorite part, pacing. Far too often I come out of the gate much too fast. Once I finally find a stride that works for the distance and my goal is to hold steady until the final push. This is pretty bad also. I let my ego get in the way and push too soon because someone passes or is drawing near. Once the finish line is in sight I run all out, ignoring my legs and lungs. Then comes the finish. Almost every time I think back over the start and finish errors and ask myself, Could I have run faster?

For this run, those were all memories and not realities of a grand jog in the direct sun of a summer day.

Make memories. Run.

Tom