Revisiting the Past (University of Victoria)

I lay in bed this morning, my brain struggling to turn over, under pressure to discover which synapses led to the eyelids opening. With the world visible, I continued to lie there, now trying to choose which leg would hit the floor first. Although I meant to have my right fire, the left responded and subsequently set the pattern for the next few hours.

I had initially planned on going to Mount Doug to run the trails, but something Thomas said swayed my decision, causing me to opt for the flatter route up at UVic. Once there, I trudged slowly around the chip trails with two right feet.

UVic is where my running began. I can remember clearly my first outing with two friends; I was dressed in navy blue jogging pants and a faded varsity T-shirt. Unfortunately, the experience wasn’t enjoyable as I had to stop eight times, wanting to curse but deciding the effort better spent on breathing. My running career could have ended there, stopping before it ever started. Instead, I snuck back onto the trails without telling my friends, destined to improve my fitness in secret.

There is a loop up there that I would race/struggle around 2-3/week, on a good day punching the air with the watched stopped at 22’. This morning, I ran the same circuit in 20:02 (nature break included). If my friends could see me now.

Training: an easy 44:09 on the UVic trails, my left achilles didn’t hurt but it was noticeably tight. I iced it when I got home.