Without Limits

I know I had started running earlier, like, almost a month ago, but of course, I promptly got sick, and then just stopped, as is the usual trend with me; find an excuse to stop and never continue.

Despite this, I started running again, partly because I saw that my sister Kellie ended up having to sign up for the Frederick Marathon instead of the Pittsburgh, and while it is still too late for me to get in shape for that marathon, there is also a half marathon and all that jazz. I don't know, God hates a coward, and while I'm not opposed to running thirteen miles, it seems kind of wrong when I could easily train to do a marathon, and on the same day that a bunch of people are dropping down 26.2 or so odd miles, I'm doing a leisurely thirteen. Also, I'm running again because I do some great thinking while running.

There are no distractions while running. It's not like when I'm driving, or at work, or home doing other things. When the only things I really have to worry about are staying on the road and not getting hit by cars, and even that, most of them are kind enough to do my job for me. So it's easiest while running for me to not just let my mind wander, but to lose my mind to those who do a better job of telling my stories than I. After all, they're their stories.

It's truly wonderful, with a few exceptions. The first of which is when I'm out of shape. When I let my characters run wild, that's generally what they do, and my own physical limitations are left where I started.

That's what happened today. I ran way too far, way too fast, and I'm already hurting. It's a fair guess to say that I will have some serious issues with just getting up tomorrow morning, let alone going to work and class, and of course, running again.

It occurs to me that I could probably do a marathon like this. I might die afterwards, but while I'm running, I feel nothing, at least nothing that's happening to me anyways.

Still, I'd have to say, as I massage my aching legs (I was surprised to see my calf muscles are already back, in all their former glory), that it was totally worth it.