Ed: Running at Night

OK. So, this morning was a washout. I had to go to work during the day, and with the evening activities, dinner, and getting our child bathed and off to bed, it was tough to change into my running clothes and step outside.

But the reality was that as I stood at the corner of my street, and stared down that long sidewalk--I really didn't want to go. My knees are still a tad achey, I had eaten a full meal an hour earlier--it's a bad idea to run, right?

The kids. St. Jude kids. Their faces float through my mind. The images of Ben and Hayden from my earlier YouTube link drifted into my mind.

So I take off at an easy trot.

It's a nice night anyway. Cool temperatures. The moon is full, or nearly so. Earlier I decided to go without my beloved Bruddah Iz music, and simply run without headsets and music--I'm glad I did. With the night cloaking my world, my traveling companions were my footfalls and my steady breathing--and my achey knees--but they don't make any noise (well, when it's really quiet I can do a parlor trick with my crunchy knees).

Rabbits! Do you know how many rabbits are in the yards in the early evening? They scamper here and there as I approach. Some freezing in place. Others, for whatever reason, must think I'm going to devour them. I find them somewhat amusing--even entertaining. I continue on running.

I have found that as long as I run my current pace, I go into an automatic mode. My legs sorta ache about 2 minutes into my run, but never get worse than that. I've gotten used to the ache, and simply ignore it. I'm never out of breath at my pace. It tells me that I can push harder, but right now it's about distance and stamina. I'll worry about pace later. Right now I can run for 32 minutes without stopping, and even then, feel like I could continue on for another 10 or 15.

That ain't half bad for a couch potato only a few months ago!

I rounded a corner, and headed north. The cool northerly breeze continues to be welcome, but as I approached the local grocery store, it brought with it some gnarly smelling stuff from the dumpsters in the back.

Running outdoors really makes me tuned into the smells. Last week my olfactory nerves took a big "ka-whoomph" with a rotting raccoon carcass on a country road. Got to pass that twice. Ick. I was surprised to be able to tell who was smoking in cars as they whoosh by. Weird. I also have discovered that I am not fond of the smells wafting from the local McDonald's. Don't get me wrong--I love a Big Mac--but that greasy smell is really unpleasant when running by.

I was more than halfway through my run when I suddenly felt like walking. Not for any particular reason. My familiar leg-ache was right were it should be, and my breathing was not labored at all. I just wanted to walk.

Then I quite literally started thinking about Ben and Hayden. Children I've never met...they're faces and stories on an Internet video clip--but they were very real. St. Jude was able to buy them time with their families, but ultimately, both lost their battles. I suddenly felt their presence on either side of my elbows--urging me on. I felt lighter on my feet, and somehow refreshed.

I didn't stop, and continued on.

By the way...thanks to whomever parked their cars blocking the sidewalk. The only way to get around was to run out into Kirby traffic to get back on the sidewalk. Real nice.

Oh yeah. And for the kid driving by who hollered an obscenity at me--classy. Really nice. You must make your parents proud. Maybe I should have worn my headphones.

I finally made the last turn towards home. I ran past that scary, but presumably harmless, Rottweiler that always makes a mad dash at me. I'm still suspicious of that waist high chain link fence between me and that barking beast. I think if it wanted to clear it, it could.

The familiar sight of my home comes into view. I slow to a walk exactly at the point where 18 minutes earlier I was waffling about running tonight. It turned out to be a nice night for a run--glad I did it. I'm not quite ready for August 5th--but I'm confident that if I continue to run every day, and work towards running 3 times a day, I'll be fine.

It's all about those St. Jude kids. They need hope. We can help.

Today's St. Jude video: