Watt's Running

I’m such a klutz. I had just started out on my typical running route through Wells Branch. On the way I wanted to cross the street so I looked back to check for traffic. As I did I unknowingly stepped off the curb. There was some cars back at the light a few hundred feet back, but I lost my balance. Instead of falling down immediately and doing a total face plant I continued to run. However I was terribly off balance and trying very hard to recover. My torso was leaning over awkwardly. I continued to run and struggled to stay upright for twenty feet or more. Straining my muscles, my feet, my back. Trying so hard to get upright. My balance is not what it used to be. Finally, just finally I got my center of gravity under my feet. Luckily I hadn’t run too far into the road so I corrected and got back to the sidewalk. The traffic from the light passed me. My heart was racing. I was breathing hard. I had just ducked a bullet. A near miss. Whew!

My running class is coming to an end. Typically it would have completed in my running the marathon next weekend. I would be feeling butterflies and stress about it now. However, I’ve decided that the HALF marathon is what I’ll be doing. Feeling this way is weird because I’ve only known that now is the time to run a marathon. Everyone else in my class is ready to go and do it. The class builds to this point yet I’m not going to reach that pinnacle. So I’m kinda feeling incomplete. I even have other runners I know that keep chiding me to run the full. (Thank you Monica, but sorry I won’t) Yet I know running the half is the right decision. Thinking back on this past running season I find that the peak for me was about a month ago. It was during the 20 miler race that I ran my longest race. Yet I hadn’t realized it at the time. Then a few weeks ago a raced the 3M Half Marathon. I pushed my self real hard for that one. And I’m not planning to race the Austin Half Marathon. So by then I was already on the downward slope. But I still was not fully realizing that the season for me was over back then. Nevertheless it was good exercise. I did all that was asked of me during class. And with that I am satisfied. My only wish was to have met more running buddies, but this time it didn’t work out. I just didn’t blend in or they were just too fast or slow. It was my fault too, because I would run out ahead or struggle to catch up. Maybe because I knew I wasn’t going to run the marathon I kept my distance literally and figuratively. Whatever the case I don’t even have a friend to run the half with. And with that I am saddened. Sigh.