"If you want to learn about running, watch a ten year old girl and do likewise"
-- Olympic Medal Winning Running Coach...name to follow shortly
I’ve been running on the walk now (that sounds funny) for maybe 6 weeks? I started at 2.5 miles and then went to 5 and I’ve been at 7.5 miles for a little while now. One of the things I really wanted to do before we finished this thing was to try to a ten miler. Kid has been so supportive of my running that he graced me today with 10 miles to complete as I could.
It was very generous of him; as we really don’t have that many miles left to walk…and certainly not that many to run. So, I was pretty darned excited to get 10 whole miles to myself. I almost kissed him last night when he told me…that’s how excited I was.
For a couple of reasons.
One, I really did want to give it a shot.
Two, I didn’t want to repeat the walking day we had yesterday which was 18 miles in 90 plus degree heat. It was exhausting and long, and I just…as much as I have been sort of cherishing these walking days…I was good with doing something different.
So..at about 6:30am the runner crew; Kid, Maggie, Shun and Ben (with Margaret driving the support vehicle) set off to complete our 50 plus miles that would take us into Pochahantas State Park in Chester, VA.
Here’s Shun with his power breakfast of Coke and something awful.
Maggie in full preperation mode for her 7.5
Ben and Kid filling up
I was able to get on the road at a little after 7:00. It was already getting hot, but it wasn’t miserable yet. My run started off strong and just stayed strong for 5 miles. It felt so good to be out there this morning.
It’s hard to explain just what I love so much about running – it’s certainly just the movement of it – getting my pacing down, the breathing to the point where it feels effortless and I’m just cruising right along. That’s how the first five miles felt to me this morning. It was a beautiful out, the weather was just warm enough to bring up a sweat, but it hadn’t become daunting yet. I was running through the countryside, working these slight rolling hills and feeling as free as could be out there on my own.
I ran as a kid – I don’t remember if I told you guys this before – I think I was 8 or 9, maybe 10 and I recall “training” for a little track meet or something by running around the block and having a friend time me. I think that even then I enjoyed the solitude of it.
I liked team sports to a degree; I played little league, but I don’t think I’ve ever been very competitive…so that level of play didn’t intrigue me as much as just being out and active in the world.
I was a good runner - I was fast and remember doing well in that Hayward meet – there’s a sweet photo of me with my little gold medals. I ran up until the 7th grade I think, maybe into the 8th – but then my demons kicked in and I became kind of a mess for the rest of my childhood. Booze and cigarettes and social acceptance in that realm became far more important to me than the release of sport. It’s truly one of the very few regrets I have in my life; that I started all of that dysfunction so young – part of this life’s work apparently.
So it’s been a special kind of rememberance to embrace this running – one of the beautiful things on this walk to be sure and I am so grateful that Kid has continued his support and enthusiasm for my love of it.
When I’m running I feel young and strong and very free. Without the other movement and energy of the walkers around me I can really work my own meditation so much easier. My prayer feels clearer.
We runners are obligated to hold the intention of the walk for those miles. When we all walk together, it’s a joined effort to focus and pray for the community we are walking through, or carry the prayers of others. When I’m alone out there on the road, that obligation is mine alone. And I do my best to honor that – but, I’m no saint, and not a very practiced carrier of the sacred, so my mind slips and slides.
This morning, after about 7.5 miles I could feel myself starting to tire. I’m a slow runner, I do about 12 minute miles, so at 7.5 I’ve been on the go for 90 minutes or so. I still felt like it was doable, that I had the energy to complete the next 2.5, which would be another ½ hour or so. But it becomes way more challenging to think about something other than the fact that your legs are tiring.
I think about why I’m there spiritually, but I also start thinking about the fact that we are almost done…that this is my last run, that I’ll be seeing Matt and Sonja and Mike in two weeks, gwennie in less than four. I start fantasizing about sitting at the river in Northern Californina. I start to miss my walker family already. And after running through all that in my head and I’m really tired I start thinking of anything to keep me moving. Today I was replaying Xena episodes in my head, ‘cause I was just talking about them with Lisa the other night on the phone. I know, it’s silly, but it works for me. I mean, that episode when Renee O’Connor was wearing that little Amazon huntress outfi….okay, never mind. You see my point. Not spiritual, but functional to be sure.
So…as it turns out, I didn’t fully complete my ten. I made it to about 9 and ¾ before my body quit on me and I had to walk the rest of it in. But that was okay…I fulfilled my commitment and felt I had a really strong run for the better part of the morning. A far cry from where I was a month ago.
And I feel in some way, that in doing this I am honoring that little kid that just liked the way her body felt when she was in motion and out there on her own in the world. I love bringing her back to life.
That’s a prayer in itself, isn’t it?
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