running log - 1/19/06

4 miles with darrin

darrin and i ran the same route tonite as we did yesterday. the weather was unreal. mid 50s and breezy. i purposely ran slower tonite, the main reason being that i didn't want to beat yesterday's time. i do not want to feel pressured to run faster and faster every time i go out. when that happens, running suddenly seems like work. so slow down. no pressure.

slow down we did. we finished in 36:11/9:03, which is still a good time. well for me at least. other "real runners" may feel like this is terribly slow, but oh well. i put "real runners" in parentheses because i don't yet feel like i fit in to that category. i'm still just starting out, and though i did alot of this a few years ago, it feels all new to me again. i don't know exactly when if ever i will feel acceptance into the "i'm a runner" club, but it hasn't happened yet. i realize i'm probably not the slowest runner out there, but there is more to the club than that.

longevity.

accomplishment.

from a runner's perspective, i have done neither. i am working on that, but it is a deliberate and consistent process that takes time and dedication. i've done well this past month, but a month does not make a runner. my upcoming surgery-imposed exile will stall my quest to runnerdom, but won't extinguish it.

i'll get there though. save me a seat.