My first task was to locate my Iong-since abandoned i-pod. I found it at the bottom of my purse, covered in Cheerio dust, with a breath mint stuck to the screen. (At least it escaped the half-capped lip gloss that's been lurking around the depths.)
Charging it up, adding a few inspirational songs (Eye of the Tiger, anyone?), I set out into the dwindling sunshine on the empty roads.
My plan was to run until my legs or lungs gave out - but I didn't have the foresight to predict neither one would be interested in giving out - just giving UP - on that particular evening.
As dusk enveloped our quiet neighbourhood, I could feel the cold clammy hands of nightfall and hear the sound of defeat (or was it an impending heart attack?) in my ears.
Mid-way through the run my i-pod went flying out of my pocket and landed in the bushes. No problem - I hooked myself back up, brushed the dirt off the headphones, and went back on my way.
Then the battery died. Which was fortuitous, as I may not have otherwise heard the clicking sound on the pavement behind me. As it turned out, a new four-legged friend had come join me.
A long haired collie had joined me on my twilight run. Its owner was nowhere to be found - which was unusual, but not unheard of in our quiet neighbourhood.
At first I expected it to run off, but the dog stayed with me. I kept running, it would pick up pace next to me. When I stopped, gasping for air, it would slow down, or stop and look patiently up at me.
The dog ended up following me most of the way home. I just kept thinking "Here I am, out of shape, trying to run, and Lassie is standing by in case I need an ambulance."
Overall, day one of the training was a good experience!
I'm heading outdoors again tonight. If Lassie shows up, and she has a St. Bernard in tow, I'm taking that as a sign I should NOT be doing the half marathon!
No comments:
Post a Comment