Lately, I have been getting up 3 mornings a week (my off-work days) to go running! This has been great. I have really enjoyed getting up and getting out each and every day. I have a very faithful furry running companion as well as a good friend to run with. This makes for a great combination of motivation and accountability. :)
Well, this morning we got started out on our running adventure. I call it an adventure to make this activity sound more fun than it really is. It hardly comes close to being adventuresome. We take the exact same steps every time. If it wasn't for good company, it'd be pretty boring actually. I can't say that about today. It wasn't boring in the slightest. It probably border lined a tragedy/adventure.
It might be good to point out that there are many many hills where we run. So, as we are running along (dog off leash by this time or else I'd be dragging him), listening to Jars of Clay on the ipod, I get to the top of the hill and signal that I'm ready to walk for a bit so I can catch my breath in this awful Georgia August humidity (yes, its even ridiculously humid in the 6am hour in Georgia in August). My friend says "a little further - at that next land mark we'll walk a bit." Sure, sure got it. No problem. And true to my old cross country running days, I pick up the pace thinking to myself "Get there strong! Don't slow down because I know I'm about to finish, pick it up. Get there. Be square." This seemed like a great idea in my mind. I was impressed with myself. I thought my friend might be impressed too. I have no clue where my dog was... somewhere behind us. As I picked up the pace...so did my friend. Push a little harder, Karen. A little faster. Woo! My mind thinks..."This must be close to what it's like to fly!" Up, up I go in my mind. Faster. Faster. And then suddenly I was taken by away by S.L.O.W M.O.T.I.O.N!!! My feet weren't on the same level as my mind was anymore. It was as if my body laughed at my mind saying, "Oh yeah? You think you can fly? Let me show you how." And down I fell! I couldnt pick my legs up fast enough. My feet couldn't keep up. BOOM. On the ground. I rolled over and couldn't help but crack up laughing. My friend turns around and helps me up. I can't stop giggling. That was hilarious! In my mind I had the funniest scenario in my head. Man, I wish I could have seen a video of that!! My hands were stinging. My knees were stinging. Over and over again I was asked if I was okay. Of course, I'm fine. Geez! That was funny though. Still almost a mile away from our finishing destination, there was no further running. I kept giggling spontaneously about the funny conversation that my head and my body were having together during this scenario.
It wasn't until upon completion of this morning's adventure turned tragedy that I actually decided to check up on the knee damage. The burning sensation on each knee told me that some damage had been done. However, I had no desire to check it out while I was still almost a mile from being finished. I sit down and hear my mind let out a groan (but didn't verbalize it, of course), when I noticed that I had a hole on each knee of my exercise pants. Pulling up my pants legs, I discover that I am bleeding on both knees. Man. The conversation between my mind and my body was now over. They were on equal terms. It is a fact. I cannot fly.
Right Skinned Knee
Left Skinned Knee
What makes this whole ordeal a little weird, is the fact that I fell yesterday too! I was running across my backyard (for no apparent reason, I might add - except to run). I didn't think (there's that mind-word again) that I needed to jump over the small rock wall that lines the beds in our yard. I thought (wow, this is getting repetitive) that I could just keep running, but apparently, I should have jumped. My foot caught the top of a rock and down I fell. Yesterday, the grass in the yard cushioned my fall. I wasn't as fortunate to have a soft break today. I have two skinned up knees to prove it. Perhaps what makes me sad is the two holes in the knees of one of my favorite pair of exercise pants. I guess I'll be turning them into shorts.
