More runs and miles

Signed up to a run a 1500m on the track in Myrtle Beach next Saturday. Part of a meet that I will be coaching at. Decided this morning I need some "get down speed" to quote the fictional character Quenton Cassaday in Born to Run. Ran 10 x 200m at about 35 seconds but legs were just too fatigued to do more, and the mind was half checked out. Ran again at noon 5+ miles and got in 6 x 150 In/ Out sprints.

Going to cut the mileage going into next week. Also have a 4 mile race the night of June 11th in downtown Wilmington. Been running a harder average pace on most of my runs the past few weeks, while also accumulating a solid chunk of miles. Might be some kind of coping with grief mechanism... just seems more natural to go harder. Bash and bash some more. Throwing the rule back out a little.

Though there are days where I swear my legs respond to being in motion. Like they are returning to some primitive, natural state. Where it all just seems to flow. And I can get semi-fatigued but never too tired.

Up in Pennsylvania two weeks ago to say goodbye again to my Mom. And of course I ran. Got in as much as I could. 10 + miles that Saturday morning, weather in the upper 50s and raining. In fact pouring at times. Wailing on up and down the hills. Running with ghosts of the past. Floating around familiar bends on country roads. Flying down alley ways in my old hometown. Yesterdays long forgotten spring to life for a few fleeting moments... if I reached out I  swear I could touch them.

Ran into (almost quite literally) and old friend from high school. She was out on a 13 miler. Had run the Pittsburgh marathon a few weeks ago. We chatted amicably in the rain. I forgot that my hands were getting a bit numb.

Then 7 miles hard on the Towpath that evening. Out onto the single track trail that winds thru the valley up to Jim Thorpe. Was sunny, muggy and hot then. I pushed the pace and enjoyed it. Beautiful scenery. Like being cut off from the World. Came upon a bunch of people out walking, kind of looked like some sort of Outsiders. Couple, adults, kids. They all said hi, friendly. A girl asked if I was sweaty. Kinship I think because at heart I'm an Outsider too.

9 more miles Sunday morning. Hills. More hills. Up and down. Then back on the road, in my car.