Not Crying About the Leaving

I ran 4 more miles on the USP hamster wheel last night, 28:04. Just did it 'cause my coach told me to, and trust that I'm the better, or at least the faster man for it. This run happened after I taught class and then went to Tony's talent show (he played trumpet), so it was fairly late in the evening and the last thing I wanted to do was more running. But I did it.

Maybe the best training I get out of those evening doubles is that it takes all I've got to force myself back up the next morning. "But I just ran" is the recurring whine I kept hearing from the more sensible part of myself this morning. Sensible is an understatement, as I was lying in bed for a long time this morning listening to the wind howl and just feeling cozy. Why anyone would want to leave that to run, especially on a morning like this, makes no sense.

But get out the door I did, albeit a bit late. Sure enough, the wind was blowing fiercely from the Northwest and judging from the ice on the puddles temps were in the high 20s or so. I was in denial as to the temperatures when I started, and as a result I left without gloves. My left contact was also bothering me to where I had to stop twice, take it out and reinsert it. No easy task given this morning's conditions.

But now that I have that bellyaching out of the way, I must say that even on a morning like this I love running out in Tinicum refuge. Its still new enough to me where I'm seeing things I haven't noticed before. Today it was how the Center City skyline is visible, in the distance, over the mouth of the Darby Creek. The snow that confounded me on Wednesday's run was largely gone, and instead much of the trail was clear but frozen, and felt like the cinder tracks of my childhood running. I did manage to use the wooded parts of this loop to my advantage as a break against the wind. Hawks and deer were the predominant wildlife out this morning, with several close up views of both. I have to review my buteo hawks, as I can readily recognize red-tails (I saw my buddy again this morning) but there were others today that I know were not red-tails, and I don't know what species they were.

9 miles in 76.08. Still feel exuberence from yesterday's track workout. I appreciate the comments, both here and by email.

This old porch is just a long time of waiting and forgetting
Remembering the coming back and not crying about the leaving
And remembering the falling down and the laughter of the curse of luck
From all those son's of bitches who said we'd never get back up. . .
- Robert Earl Keen & Lyle Lovett