I ran today for the first time in a long time without my girls. Actually, it's only been a few weeks, but it FELT like a longtime. And it was the first long run alone in Richmond. Usually when I'm doing "long run" alone it's because I'm in MA, NC or BerMUDA. (sorry, had to throw that one in). I'm not a fan of the long run to begin with, and then you add in that I'm running in my own city but w/o my own fan club. Instead, I tried to "merge" with another club. OK, that was a BIG mistake. HUGE. Really big. Giant.
This "running group" of my neighborhood meets every Saturday at 7am. So, for one thing, that's a little late. Seriously, if you're running 10 miles and you don't start till 7, it's friggin hot by the time you're done. OK, next point of contention is that they made this big to do about how they never leave anyone behind and that there are plenty of novice runners who run slow... Slow is NOT a 9:20 pace. The definition of slow is probably relative though.... anyway, within 20 feet of the beginning of the run I realized that it was going to be ugly. I slowed way down and let them all go. By 1 mile I was running pretty much alone but they were still within earshot, and by 3 miles into the run I couldn't even make out the people I was running "with". So, at that point I realized that I was actually running alone.
How sad. Woe is me. How... peaceful. Yes, I missed my girls. I wished for some conversation about... NC, meeting husbands, Europe, Baltimore, Economic Crisis... but in the end I just sort of ran in my mind and let my mind wander. I contemplated many things... ranging from Economic Crisis to SDD to the TV show to which I'm now addicted... to running "alone" with 20,000 people on race day.
Either way, next week if my peeps are off doing "Stuff" and I can't run with them, I will just choose to run alone rather than try to do the neighborhood runner thing.
1 comment:
I so feel you. I started out running with a much faster group, so the only benefit I get from group runs is the accountability of BEING there and getting started. Then on the looong runs they come back and run me in when I'm at my least pleasant and non chatty cause I sound like Thomas the Tank Engine trying to get up Gordon's Hill with a bunch of cars.
There's something to be said about solitary running, though, especially in the pre-dawn darkness. You get to notice things. Some - not so pleasant - like the eyeballs in the woods (like Snow White), or the crashing/rattling of something RUNNING through the woods (flip a coin as to which is worse).
But there are neat things, too. Like have you noticed that the air is starting to SMELL that dry leafy fall smell? That makes me thankful for the private time where I can run my pace and challenge myself, without feeling guilty that I'm not keeping up with the group or having to keep tabs on a slower runner (on the rare occasion that happens).
Run like a mother!
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