Along My Run | 7 - August Rebound

I'm hesitant to say I've made a full recovery from my ankle injury, because I know these things can revert as quickly as the days have become shorter, so I'll just settle for a "running rebound" in August.

The days are noticeably shorter - each morning run starting a little darker than the previous day's. I've always noted that once the calendar flips to August, it feels like a light switch flips, and we become enveloped in darkness in the early morning and evening. The transition takes getting used to - getting up in the dark, donning reflective gear and lights. Soon, the entire run will be in the dark - I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

I am, however, looking forward to some cooler temperatures and less humid conditions! Summer, taunting the kids that started back to school, finally decided to show up. Walking out into the heavy, sticky air, the hardest step to take is that first one. Then I remind myself "I get to run today" and my perspective is changed. So we slog through the miles, drenched with sweat at the end, making sure to properly hydrate along the way.



1. Post Run - Felt good to get 12 miles in today, 2. Mile 6 Reward , 3. Fire and Water , 4. Parade In , 5. Walk on By , 6. Obstacle Course this Morning!, 7. Lose Yourself, 8. Settling Down , 9. Jump Over Or Splash Through? , 10. Sadly, this happens at the end of the run now., 11. Just the Start of Today's Long Run , 12. Good Morning, Sun , 13. Clouds and Wee Little Moon, 14. Misty Morning Run , 15. It was a Run in the Rain This Morning. Unexpected, but welcome! , 16. Like the Countryside , 17. Throw Me a Curve , 18. Pretty Tired of the High Humidity.

August's Stats: 136 miles, 9:16 minute / mile average pace. I'm happy with it all, considering how fast I ramped up the mileage in order to get back on track for the Chicago Marathon. I am also fortunate that I've got a good group of people to run the really long miles with - they are my support line. My goal is to simply stay healthy for the next 6 weeks and do the best I can.

I'll close with some running quotes that caught my eye:

No one ever drowned in sweat. Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. – Dan Gable

Runners just do it – they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first. – Anonymous

The triumph cannot be had without the struggle. - Wilma Rudolph

Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing. - George Sheehan

Finally, something I hope to be true:
I plan to run for the rest of my life. It will always be a part of who I am. - Brian Sell

Even if you aren't a runner, these tenets hold true for any passion - I hope you hold on tight to those passions and never take them for granted.