RL: Day Zero

I STOPPED running last fall when hunting season began, and the woods trail near the kids soccer field felt like it might turn into a shooting gallery. Then when daylight savings time went back to standard time it was too dark to road run after work. Then the treadmill was broken. And I was lazy.

Now I am faced with starting over again. Also, in taking this “blog” in a more self-indulgent direction you will have the opportunity to read about my descent into hell the restarting of my running regimen, in the form of running log entries like this one right here.

Less than a mile, 8:20 minutes

First run after a 4+ month lay-off. The first 300 yards or so felt great! After that it was all searing pain across the bottom of my right foot (reacclimating to my extreme stability running shoes,) gouging raking pain in the grooves between my ribs (we’re talking metal claw shaped garden rake, not flexible leaf rake — and we’re talking professional grade rake, not the cheapo homeowner’s special rake,) horrifying stabbing chest pain (heart vicinity,) and a sensation like inhaling sheets of copy paper (mimeograph paper — chemical burns and paper cuts all the way down the esophagus.) All-in-all, not too bad.

I’ve stopped and restarted training several times in my running career. Starting sucks. But to look upon the positive here, my legs felt as though they would have carried me much further than my lungs would have allowed.

Lastly, this is the part, running log, where I would normally share with you the meanderings of thought, the journey of the mind that transpired during my run. This time, there was only the study of pain.