Running Scared

Usually, the downhill would be a place to fly. Scatter-stepping my way across the uneven terrain, this was my specialty. Not so this time.

You all know how proud I am about my record of never having fallen on a trail run, but sometimes that mentality works against me. The trail was slick with mud after recent rains doused the area. Instead of bombing down the hills, I was more worried about staying upright.

Regardless of the outcome, the running hiatus finally ended yesterday, with a dreadfully slow, embarrassingly short run on a section of the Buckeye Trail. My last run was 16 days before this latest reboot. Between the wet conditions and hesitancy to run fast, my pace suffered mightily.

The timer was still set for 20 minutes, for when I was logging 40-minute out-and-back runs with regularity and shedding minutes from my average pace. But that was then. When my watch hit 15 minutes at the top of a steep hill, my legs told me that was enough, and I turned back toward my car. The final tally was 2.1 miles in 30-some minutes.

Brutal.

At least the hiatus is over. The next couple of days should provide good running weather. The weekend is supposed to bring thunderstorms, but maybe they won't deter me from getting out there and regaining the fitness I had accrued.