Weekend Update

This past weekend, I decided to test out my ankle/foot issue and try to go for my 10 miler. Success! I felt great once I got in my groove. I popped a couple ibuprofen before my run (which I didn't think you were supposed to do for some reason) because I woke up and my back was killing me...what else is new? I thought, if my back is killing me and making me miserable on this run, there is no way I'm going to be able to do it with a semi hurt foot.

I went a route I have never gone before. Past Ravens stadium and through a so-so part of town with the blue police lights on top of the light posts flashing. Do you know what I'm talking about? The blue flashing lights are only in the worst crimes parts of Baltimore. But there I was running through them block after block. Hey, a girl's gotta do something to keep her mind off the pain in the body. I couldn't believe at about mile 4, that I was still plugging along. I think that's when my mind finally accepted there was no turning back and I was gonna do this. Finally, after the so-so part of town, I enjoyed the sites of the city's cultural center around the symphony and Lyric Opera House.

I kept trying to have deep thoughts during the run; what issues I needed to hammer out, what I was going to have for dinner the rest of the week, how to be a better mother, who I needed to connect with or pray for. But my thoughts only lasted a brief moment and I was back to staring at the ground and thinking about the fact that I couldn't feel my OTHER foot now. Never saw that coming.

The things that I kept coming back to during my run were the memories of times spent at various parts of the city in which I ran. I passed the spot on the hill where in 1992 my dad took me to see Tammy Wynette sing at the city's Artscape soon after Hillary Clinton did the ultimate and said, "I'm not some Tammy Wynette standing by my man." I've loved the song ever since. I passed the spot where 10 years later, I made my dad come with me to see Los Lobos perform at the same festival in hopes they would sing La Bamba. I passed the spot where Peirce and I went to see Jon Stewart do his act in 2003. I passed the spot where Peirce and I went to see Eddie Vedder perform solo in 2009. I passed the spot where I would go to my dad's high school track meets when he used to coach. All these little memories that I haven't thought of in a few years came flooding back. To me, the run was worth it. I feel rejuvenated in body and mind.

And thank you Saucony for your support of my body and my mind.