Reentry

Four weeks ago today I completed my 1400 mile run from Boulder to Petoskey.
Today I...read the newspaper, went for an hour-long run, cleaned the bathroom, weeded the garden, called my mom who has had some health problems since we were in Michigan, checked email, reserved a room for family weekend at Knox, put in my name as a race volunteer, submitted a resume for another volunteer job, organized some photos, went (ran) to the library to photocopy some articles, ironed some shirts, went (ran) to the grocery store, made dinner, watched a movie, ho hum ho hum. Today's life is a bit more complex than the summer's simple triad of running 8 hours per day, eating, and sleeping. Complex, but missing the simultaneous threads of excitement and calm that the summer of running offered. Just four weeks, yet a lifetime ago.

Long enough ago that the sensations are beginning to fade - I'm glad I wrote down the things I missed about the run during our return trip to Colorado.

• Quiet
• The breeze on my face for hours at a time
• Being outdoors all day long, surrounded by weather...and not much else...
• The rhythm of the run, 30 miles/8 hours per day
• Talking to my dad as I ran toward the horizon
• Kendall time, Paul time

• Taking a shower because I really needed to
• Waking up to a chorus of birds each morning

But there are good things about being back in Boulder: there's a mystery stalk of corn growing in our yard (undoubtedly to remind us of the zillions of cornstalks we passed this summer), my dog is once again at my side, I've got running buddies to laugh with along the trail, and I don't have to run 30 miles every day!

(btw: watch the links on the left side of the blog page...I'll be adding links to pictures and various articles)