Two weeks
and I'm trying
I’m sitting here on my deck. It’s 80 degrees and I have laundry hanging on the rails. A slight breeze rattles my clothes and Sam Barber is belting out his new song Borrowed Time.
The reprieve from a long week. Sun shining on the left side of my face - burning might be a more appropriate word. Honestly, it’s been too long since I got a sun burn. Once a year I inevitably forget sunblock. Or I put it on but decide that I just want to be outside a bit longer.
These days at the beginning of summer always make me feel hopeful. A reason to rejoice that I made it through another winter, literally and metaphorically. Soon after I finished my first run today, I got an urge to run a second time. “Here I come!” I shout to the baren forest of my winter-torn heart. “You’ll be lush again soon.”
I’m 2 weeks away from the Boston Marathon. Damn. It’s been a long, hard road to get here. There’s always pressure before a race. Don’t f*ck up. Don’t lose focus. Don’t drop the baton. Balance work. Balance life. Everyone needs something from me and I got nothing to give except an awkward, but sincere, “I’ll try!”
Last month, I hopped in an early morning ride to the airport. The older driver said she recognized me from the grocery store. My mustache was the giveaway. Thank god I am a smiler in public, I thought.
We got to talking about Southern Oregon and how I was really liking the lifestyle and the people. "The running community is phenomenal!" I said. She agreed.
“There are plenty of hicks,” she laughed, “but a hick like me, I like all the different folks around here.” She was trying to make me feel better, I think. I had mentioned my partner a couple of times and the fact that my sweater collection might make me stand out.
I smiled and thought, yup, this is exactly where I needed to be. We got to talking about marathons. I mentioned that I'm skipping a local race that happens to run by my apartment because I'm training for Boston.
"Now, is that in NYC?" she asked.
"Not quite, um, it's in Boston," I answered trying to sound like it was a perfectly normal thing to mix up (and hey, it was 5am!). I've told people in California that I'm from Michigan and they've mistook it for Mississippi or Missouri (meh, they're all kinda the same).
It was a great reminder: if you aren’t running for yourself, then you're doing it wrong - because the world doesn't care as much as you think they do. Run to break up the days. Run to remind yourself that doing hard things is one of the best feelings in the world.
Gear
I spend a lot of time thinking about what I will have on my feet for race day. Unlike an ultra race, you can’t change shoes mid race. I’ve written about the NovaBlast before, but it’s worth reiterating: these are a workhorse.
I can spend all day in these and feel like I’m “grounded”.
NovaBlast 5
Stack Height: ~41.5mm (heel) / 33.5mm (forefoot).
Drop: 8 mm
Midsole: FlyteFoam Blast Max (softer/more responsive than Novablast 4)
Upper: Engineered jacquard mesh with tongue-wing construction for improved fit
Price: $150
Song
Sam Barber just released his new album: Broken View. Full of bangers if you’re into this type of thing.
Song: Just a Kid