Sunday, November 7, 2010

Finding my stride


Fueled by power oatmeal, a mug of leaded, and the joy of seeing my second fitness column in the local newspaper, I did a one-mile walking warm up before setting out on a 5-mile run.

It felt so good. Plodding along at roughly a 10-minute mile, I didn't set any records for speed or distance--I just loved being out there.

I thought about my friends who were running the NYC Marathon this weekend, and even about another friend who, if I'm not mistaken, is running an Ice Marathon in Antarctica. I tried to tap into their energy and drive. These people inspire me to keep going, to do better, run faster.

I'm a low-tech runner, an iPod being my only standard gadget. Today I enjoyed the random feed of old Van Halen and Jane's Addiction. Today, I also added another gadget: a watch. When I realized I was holding a 10 minute mile pace, I challenged myself to go faster and finished the last mile in 9 minutes flat, completing the 5-miler in 49 minutes.

With no race on the horizon I wonder: How far should I go? How fast? For now, I'm just happy to have found my stride again.

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