the beginning of a journey

Time to bring back the stats.

Marathon training week: 1
The plan: 5 miles

Time of departure: 7:30am
Return: 8:45am

Phase of the moon: It's waxing. There was a new moon...Thursday, I think?
Sunrise: 640 AM CST
Sunset: 432 PM CST
Temperature: 50F
Lake Temp: 50F. Brr. That's too cold for swimming.

Route: Down to Wilson on the lakefront and back up. I hugged the lake most of the time.
Approx Distance: 5 miles
Running buddy: Just myself
Clothing: I wore running shoes, socks, blue pants with white stripes, long sleeve t, wind breaker.

What did I eat pre-run? Oh, I don't think I ate anything. I forgot about this step.
How did I feel? Pretty good. Like I'm finding my running legs. They're a little sluggish about remembering how to run.
What do I like about running? Oh, I like that it takes me out of doors on beautiful mornings like this one.

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Last night I left my mp3 player at my dance class. I think. (I should see about getting that back tomorrow.) So this morning I was sans mp3 player. I am also without running buddy because Matt and I are currently having differences. He wants to run fast. I...well, I don't run fast. He wants to run at night. I want to run in the morning. I want to follow this marathon program to facillitate a successful run of the Rome marathon. Matt scoffs at marathon training programs. And so it goes. We're working out a compromise, but meanwhile, I'm in Week 1 of a training program.

Yay!

And so it is interesting to be running a route that is super familiar to me with nothing but my thoughts. And no one to compromise with or discuss changes in route...so today I stretched near the lake and ran along side it as soon as possible all the way down to Lawrence where the path turns inland a bit. I think, while I'm running, what is it to run without a buddy? What will it be to run this winter essentially alone? Where will my thoughts take me? Will it feel like a fun adventure when it's -2F plus windchill? Or will it just feel like a bad idea becoming reality? How much does the sharing of an event determine the essence of that event?

I don't know yet. But it's mornings like this one that remind me that this is without a doubt my favorite season, that even with the trees half empty this city is glorious, that the colors of burnt orange leaves against a deep blue sky are one of the most miraculous of color combinations and I want to say to someone, isn't this incredible? And I look around, looking to see if there is someone looking for me, looking to lock eyes and nod and smile.

The lake was a deep and glorious blue color, almost completely still. Certainly, it was flat. There weren't any waves, just a textured surface, as if made by the hand of an oil painter. Along the shore it did show like glass, dotted with some mallard ducks and seagulls with their beaks tucked in their feathers...

Anyhow, it was a beautiful morning, by anyone's standards.