a million little deaths

i felt so strong this morning. from the first stride to the last. 6:54's felt easy even with the hills, even going the hour that i did, even the six sprints after the hour. most of the time i was hanging around 6:50-6:52, and it felt easy. should it surprise me when the easy pace feels easy? probably has a lot to do with the sleep i got last night. thank you lovely wife for getting gracie ready for bed and letting me sleep. thank you mom for coming to stay with us this week to help out and watch the kids. i went to bed just after 9 and woke up around 6:45. on my own. no alarms, no pats on the shoulder, no newborn cries.

again it is getting colder. today seemed like winter not fall. windy with large grey clouds threatening. and finally half way through my run the bark became bite. cold, biting, sharp rain drops hurled at me like so many daggers by the wind, a million little deaths. but not even that slows me down. nothing can today.

hit my strides at 22 seconds right on. with the exception of the third one and the last one. the third one was a second slower. i wasn't focusing on my running. i was thinking about work, stress, the latest worry. although i can do this during easy running it does not do for speed work. must focus. the last one was a second faster and it gave me a new image.

just as i was turning the block for my last stride, a truck pulled up to the stop sign and was headed on my route. i hit the thin crack in the asphalt that marks the beginning of the sprint and shot out fast. i could hear the truck behind me. coming right towards me. passing me. i imagined a rope tied to the truck and wrapped around my waist pulling me towards the stop sign. it gave me that extra lunge to end with a 21 second sprint.

walked through the door cold, wet, and charged with confidence.