What a great day!
I simply began it with the idea of doing some slow easy kilometers. Nothing more than 7 or 10k. And slow. Yesterday had taken a lot out of me and it was just a 5k. So I started slow, and made it through my first 3k with only a small twinge in my left ankle. Then when I got down to the river, ready to over towards Casa de Campo, I was passed. Now to say passed probably makes you think of a stately procession of people slow going by, but that was not the case. They flooded by on both sides like a scary stream of sweaty youths. Having my iPod on didn't help either, as I nearly jumped out my skin. I wasn't expecting to have worry about what was behind me at this point in my run.
So it's a fairly large group of Spanish college kids, some actually looked like real runners by the cut of the gear and the economy of their strides. I watch the fluorescent yellow and orange and blacks clump up on the other side of the street and head towards the parque. And I make a decision.
I'm catching them.
Now, as decision go, this was one made with no forethought. I am a 42 year old American who got little sleep and has already taught a class three hours ago. I'm tired. This is supposed to be a fun run. I also may be in the best shape of my life, but I am not a 20 something with a 20 something's stamina or strength. And yet I don't care.
I've been told, as much as dismiss it, that I have a competitive streak. Maybe. Maybe not.
But I tear after those whippersnappers. I open up my stride and I feel the strength of my hill work outs now (thank god!). I keep their sight as they move along side the middle school and head for the pedestrian bridge into the parque. They take the bike path of the bridge, I take the stairs. When they exit the bridge into the parque, they go left. So I know they're going for the lake. Like most of the college kids around here. Well, good. I got a plan.
So I stay behind them as we do the first half of the straight away heading towards the lake. They've reined in their pace, and show me that blowing by me had more to do with the hill we were on than their need for speed. Better for me. I got speed AND stamina. Old men in shape, watch out kiddies.
In the second half of the straight away, I make my move. There's really no place for them to get off and take a different route. And I want them to taste MY dust, watch my ass pull away. God, even looking back on, this I realize I AM the ass. Sigh. So pore on some speed, knowing my stamina can probably take me around most of the lake, and shout "Pardoname". The kids at the back look over the shoulder seeing this middle ager barreling down in them. I rarely move out of the way of people who don't fathom my height and speed (unless their 90). The back of the pack moves aside, but the middle and front seems oblivious. Ok. Fine. I chop my strides to get around the middle and shoulder my way passed the front. Come on this is a narrow dirt path.
Now the old man's got the "lead" and has to keep it. I will say this, I was terrified. Would I just get raced down like a scared fox by the baying hounds? Or maybe flattened by a 18 wheeler?
Funny, I did hold off the kids. I pushed my legs hard to keep it up until I got to the lake. Then around the first half. Thank god, again, for my iPod because I could hear the harshness of my breathing. I probably sounded like I should be in an ambulance.
Now, as I got to the top of the lake, I was able to steal a look behind me. I didn't want to seem as though I cared who was behind me or even that I was scared, so I hadn't the whole time. But as I did. I was every surprised. Enough to almost hit a cyclist as he pulled out from behind his car.
There was no one behind me.
I'd drive myself onto the rocks for nothing. I laughed out loud. Then cognizant of my iPod I shut up. I don't want to sound like a crazy man laughing to himself loudly, and sweaty. I stopped for a second. Sweat pouring off my face like waterfall. My quads were actually shaking as I bent over to catch my breath. Yikes. I checked my watch, I'd gone 7k. 2.5 of it had just been at light speed! What had I done?!
As I slowly started back to my run, I forced myself to listen to my plan. This was supposed to be a slow long run. Nothing stressful. I could hear the angel screaming at me for my idiotic childish behavior. What if I injured myself? Pulled something? There would go the training schedule. Sigh. Then my devil entered the conversation. He said, I had done a good thing. I had should those kids who was boss. And that was worth any amount of aches and pains. I cranked my music up, drowning them out, and headed for my second half of 13k.
At my customary water stop, a thought occurred to me that what I had done had more to do with myself and less do with the kids. Yes, I wanted to show them up. Yes, I am a bit competitive. But I really have to give myself a bit of credit for what I accomplished. That was a fast tempo run, of a sorts. I would later see a 4.00 pace for nearly three kilometers in my watch's records. Not bad.
So I sit here in my favorite cafe nursing my aching legs with coffee and a cookie. Well, a second coffee by the end of this entry. I am not looking forward to walking around to all my classes today, nor am I relishing the thought of how much pain I will be in tonight. And finally I am not looking forward to tomorrow's recovery run. One I will HAVE to take seriously. And act my age.
Though I do take away, with a smile, that I am definitely not my age. I think about some of the men I know and can't imagine any of them doing what I just did. Ok, I am grinning over my coffee. It was much too much fun. And should never ever be repeated.
It still was a great day for old men.
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