The Race – Chapter 2

It’s a rest day. I need it. Staring at this mountain. 13.1 miles tall. But laying on it’s side. I’m intimidated. But just a little. Danielle told me not to hurt myself. I didn’t listen. Scoffed it off. If I’ve learned anything I should have learned by now to listen to her and not my lizard brain. I’m a slow learner. Her brother invited me for an early morning Saturday run two weeks ago. Around his neighborhood there’s an easy three mile loop. I felt like I was done halfway through. I lagged behind but kept pushing. Near the end, Brian veers off the road and onto a dirt path. Gonna do five stairs, he says slyly. We come to a steep concrete staircase connecting an upper and lower housing development. There are some women at the top and at the bottom. Brian starts up at a jog and I follow. Halfway up I’m ready to quit. I am not jogging anymore. I’m counting steps. Looks like five flights of stairs. Cool. Five stairs. Then Brian passes me on his way down. Maybe only three, he says. Shit. Up and down means one. Fuck. I do two, he does three and we jog the last half mile back to our trucks. My calves are vibrating, he says, when we get there. Mine just feel numb. But when I get home they are vibrating and for the next six days I can barely walk. The stairs in our house are a serious challenge. Told you not to overdo it Danielle says. Yeah. I deserved that.

So a week ago I started a 12 week regime. six days a week of training. One rest day, then start over. Today is my first rest day. And I’m glad. My body is tired. But I can already feel it getting tighter, stronger, leaner. It’s hard but not as hard as I thought it would be. You just get up a little earlier and do whats on the list. Submit. I’m gonna climb that mountain.