In the Long Run Today:
It's taken me years to get the
feeling back and not plod along in my run. Not plod that is, like it’s Groundhog
Day… Which has been for years. I began to feel stressed and burnt out on racing
probably in mid-2006.
I continued to run. Yet not
racing, nor creating charity events and running them not since November
2008.
My miles have gone down over
the past ten years. As I nearly hit rock bottom many times, as well recently
between the end of 2016 and up until four weeks ago. I have doubted myself
many times in my running over the near forty-seven years I’ve been picking them
up and putting them down into miles.
After barely sleeping last night,
for whatever reason. I got up an hour later than planned. I knew I’d have an
hour of chores to do before I launched into my now to be long run of twenty to
twenty-two miles. Albeit I day-dreamed last night of running twenty-five miles.
Yet, I knew to take this rebuilding seriously.
I knew that my upper trapezius
pain going into my neck from right my collar-bone and deltoid might rear it’s
ugly head. Too, my left arch might holler since I’ve decided to give it a rest
from taping for a day or two. Which I’ve had to tape on and off since I tore
the ligaments at the medial malleolus earlier in 2017 while doing muay thai
sparring. My doctor was surprised I was running on it, “You know, you probably
have fractures in there too.” She excitedly stated, shaking her head in August
of 2017. I replied, “Yeah, well. It’s been this way for six months. So, like
you got any tips on my taping it?” She sighed, rolling her eyes, “Well, if you’re
going to keep running on it. You’ve got to tape it into the shin.” I respond, “Yeah,
I’m thinking that. Good. I just won’t block kicks no more.”
To my surprise after getting an
80 minute late start on my long run this morning. I had my ‘Dick Tracy’ watch
all charged up. Let the kids know, I’m on a different phone. One had to work
and the other could sleep in. I didn’t count on getting lost, nor my ‘Dick
Tracy’ watch going into sleep mode at fifteen miles either.
The last time I got lost on a run
was so long ago, I can barely remember. It was probably in Vermont twenty plus
years ago. But in New Jersey, it was my 2008, six-day charity run, “The Out ‘N
Back of New Jersey”. It was due to quite a bit of construction then. Before then in New Jersey, it was maybe 1986.
I remember the day well. It was in March. I had not ever run past thirty miles.
I was married not quite two years then. My husband, Norman still worked in Drug
Retail Management. I was working as a Property Accountant at Cushman &
Wakefield.
It was a Saturday, so I decided
to run from our apartment in Haledon, NJ to Suffern, NY and buy a lottery
ticket. I thought it’d be a good incentive to run past my 1983 longest run of
thirty miles. Besides, I had a marathon coming up and was trying to qualify for the 1988
US Olympic Trials Marathon. I knew I was close.
Where I got lost back then, was
just off Route 17 Northbound in Ramsey. I ended up in a Burger King parking
lot. I sorely needed hydration. I hadn’t had anything to drink since home. I
had two dollars on me, my house keys and an I.D. At Burger King they gave me
twelve ounces of water for a quarter. Then I had to backtrack and find Route
202 to bypass the highway. I ended up taking Route 202 to Oakland and somehow
got onto High Mountain Road in Franklin Lakes. Then it was a straight shot till
my block for the next four miles.
Well today, I ended up in a
parking lot off of Route 17 Northbound. Nearly déjà vu all over again from over
thirty-six years ago. Back then I was in agony. Today, although a twenty-two to
twenty-three mile run I had more of a compass inside my brain. Hilariously, I
ran through parking lots today. Only this time I knew where I was, because of
all the miles I’d run. The places I’ve taken my children for shopping. The
homes I visited of clients over a twenty-eight-year time span of my business.
Then I realized too, I was better hydrated prior to the run than back in 1986. I’m
more studious with my daily water intake now than ever before. As well, I usually
have a little bite to eat prior to the run. Which back in 1986, I feared taking
in any calories before the training runs.
Earlier, as I had launched into my run and as
usual I was my gnarly self for the first few miles. As I see these women run
with headphones on. Running on a busy street with their backs to the traffic for
more than a few meters. Some wearing all black or grey. I pass them, looking up
to the sky out loud, “Norm you saw that? What’s with the damn headphones? No
purity. No nature. There’s birds damn it!”
I continue to run on the sidewalk of the busy street going north.
Another woman, a little older than the last one. Younger than I though. She too has headphones on. Better yet, Her little
paprikas are doing zoomba and appear about to fall out of her upper respiratory
chachka. I pass her, with no sign of life. “Good God. You see that? I’m so old,
older than them and my puppies are still high and tight. Yeah, yeah… I know,
quit it. Yes, I’m small. But the
headphones?! Ugh.” Then me being me, I say a prayer for God to forgive my
judgement. Or rather my pet peeves.
As I ran on Hopper a mile from my
home at Prospect by the Waldwick Pool onto Frankling Turnpike; then through the
back roads of Allendale winding onto Cottage then onto Franklin Turnpike then
to Ivers. Soon onto W.Crescent in Allendale. I made my way back onto Franklin
Turnpike briefly to Arlton then back onto W.Crescent and took that to what
feeds into E. Main Street in Ramsey to Lake Street into Upper Saddle River. I
made my way to Carlough. It was a nice long quiet road. As new McMansions are
being built to my left. To my right Mansions and yards of two to four acres
appear along the tree-lined road, leading me to Sparrowbush. Somehow I end up
on Crescent, it looks familiar, I stay on till Airmount in Mahwah. I see a nice
lady on a three to five speed seated upright bicycle. She’s kind and tells me
where Franklin Turnpike is. I know I don’t want to run on Franklin Turnpike after
Spring Rd. Too crazy. Too noisy.
Airmount is quiet. I remain
passing Masoniscus at a traffic light. I surely had never ran in this area ever
before. I take Airmount all the way to a parking lot on Route 17 northbound, nearly
directly across from Ramsey Outdoor Sporting Goods on the Southbound side. I
now know where I am. I run through empty parking lots and find a worn path
safely away from traffic. I run on grasses to get to the Lake Street and Main
street intersection. I run on the sidewalk to W. Crescent, I take W. Crescent
all the way to the intersection to entrance of Crestwood Lake and make a left
running by a baseball field and a fire department. I meander the back roads,
again there is no traffic for about a mile. I finally reach Crescent again,
only coming from Allendale into Waldwick passing the elementary school in
Waldwick. I get to Wyckoff Ave and make a left and then a right onto John Dow
and turn left onto Smithfield. I’m now a half mile from home. I walked the last
400 meters to cool down. It got up to 86 degrees in the two hours and fifty-one
minutes I ran. I didn’t feel too parched none.
I know once I arrive home, there
are a few chores left. As well, I must do some weight-training. I omit Dead-lifts
and Farmer’s walks up and down stairs. I’ll write afterwards.---Jody-Lynn
Reicher
