Evolution

The transition out the door is relatively uncomplicated; leaving work isn’t difficult but always takes more time than expected, particularly when juggling the bike/run commute.

After an injury related absence from running I’m keen to again feel the exhilaration and exhaustion that accompanies training. I was diagnosed with a partial 2nd degree tear, but after carefully monitored recovery, coupled with a few easy jaunts my ankle is surprisingly sturdy.

I use the busy stretch of corridor between the office and the Tillicum Rd to relax into the session. The sun is shining bright overhead and the afternoon air was unexpectedly warm and still. I test my legs with some relaxed strides before entering the cooler, shaded creekside trail along the Colquitz River to begin the workout.

Fast-forward ten minutes and I’m nearing the end of my first tempo piece, now cruising the mostly gravel path across the Panama Flats. “Mw-tweet”, my focus is broken by the piercing call of a red-wing black bird. I use the stirring to pass through a mental checklist; stand tall, hips forward, light on my feet. I power up a moderate hill, my breathing laboured as I crest the top.

Sweat now tricks down the side of my face. I concentrate on the pat-pat-pat of my cadence as I travel across the small stones. My reintroduction to running has been brilliant, if not a rude awakening. I’ve missed the second race in the VTS but with the next event (the mile) only three weeks away my preparation will be desperate.

I’m glad to be back.

[photo: Colquitz River, Victoria, BC]