Long Run

Went for a longer run Tuesday morning. Started out by looping thru the Carolina Sands neighborhood, then up and across Snow's Cut Bridge, and then ran the Sea Breeze Road Loop which winds back to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway across from the North End of Pleasure Island. Then back across the BRidge and onto the bike path that begins back by the boat launch and parking lot off Spencer Farlowe Road. By now the sun was at its mid morning height and the air heavier with humdity... experience dictates not to try and battle mother nature, be content with what she gives... which translates athletic wise to a more moderate to easy running pace. Running too hard, too early in a run when its warmer out will have unwanted consequences later in the run, though at the time one may seem to be one upping the environs.

But the woods brings a bit of relief, and I take the hard packed dirt trails with relative ease, catching site of the Atlantic Waterway as it meanders back to the Cape Fear River. Eventually however I must leave the sanctuary that the woods have provided me today, and return to the heat of the asphalt roads. Did also take a drink form one of the old fashioned water pumps in the camp grounds while running thru the state park... the water was quite refreshingly cold.

Then as I crossed back over Dow Road I passed a woman jogging and pushing a stroller with two toddlers, and for good measure a small dog also ran in front of the most unusual posse. Said hello and gave them ample room to enter the greenway path. Few moments later I thought of the fountain beside the boardwalk I would pass in about a mile. The water in that one though is usually fairly warm. And at some point coming back Harper Drive I decided to extend the run out another fifteen, twenty minutes or so, and to pick up the pace after I ran the boardwalk a.l.a the Arthur Lydiard type runs of the 3-1 formula long runs whereby the last 1/4 of the run was alot harder than the first 3/4ths which were ran at a slow/ moderate "conversational" pace. Though his runners would do about a 17 mile loop that encirlced high above Aukland, New Zealand that contained many elevation changes. The run I did today was closer to 12 miles, and I only ran harder the last 1.5- 2 miles.

Did that then as i looped half the lake after crossing over the main drag in the CB, then headed back into the residential neighborhoods back behind the CB Elementary School. Dug in, and held a harder pace block by block for a good fifteen minutes... trying not to think about it at all... and one point having the thought "this thinking must stop". Pushing thru, capping the long run with an edge, some toughness, a little bit more meat on the bones. Ended the run at the entrance to the beach down from my home... an hour and forty seven minutes, which is the longest run i have done since the winter time.

Had the thought after a brief swim in the ocean while walking back that longer runs can sometimes be like rambling confessions to onself, a purging perhaps of some of the junk that permeates all of our hearts and souls... the beauty is out here I can get instant redemption, even if its for just an hour or two.