"Norfolk and Running"

Yesterday I pulled myself out into the afternoon sun and went for a run. The goal was to make it over to Old Dominion University, where I'm working now, and then back to the apartment. Not too far but my first run in Norfolk a day before had ended really badly with a full on body revolt (you do not want to know!).

It was a good run and I got to thinking a lot about why I run and why it's such a big part of my life. I mean of course you have the physical reasons for health and how you look, but there's just something about running that happens on long runs that doesn't happen anywhere else. Something, almost like you start to become aware that you're looking for something and you're suddenly closer to it then you have been in a long time. But of course that sudden awareness can quickly become replaced with blinding pain, sweat in the eyes, bathroom breaks, and more.

My new goal though is to learn to love running entirely on my own. There are groups here that I can run with and new folks with which I can become running buddies for sure... but I need to learn to love the solitude discipline of running all on my own. I've never liked it and have suffered greatly for it in my post-collegiate running. Not only do I find it harder to motivate myself to get out the door, but I truly find it near impossible to make myself race. My heart finds little point in defeating other weekend warriors when there is no team that is depending on me. It was hard in school too when the team was wanting and left little reason for pushing past one's own mental barriers.

So for now I'm running alone. For now I'm seeing if I cannot learn to love the quietness that comes from running solo and with no safety nets. There are many shortcomings from running alone - more dangerous, less motivation, no help if you need it, no conversation, no one to push you... let's see what the positive attributes might be. I have some guesses but I'm going to wait and find out.

Brett and Bryan