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SoC #17
- I’m tired
- that’s good since I need to go to sleep soon
- haven’t slept well in a few days
- and its starting to show in my focus and dreamy days
- but that fartlek tonight did the trick
- not liquor or pills but miles
- or rather 10 kilometers in Central Park in
- a drizzle that started out slowly up Heartbreak hill
- and passed a female cyclist who was doing some maneuver that
- I didn’t quite understand in my gasps for air
- as she looped around again and
- I shot her a look of “what are you doing” and
- just as she passed me, she didn’t provide any clues,
- microexpressions, or any other form of leakage
- and just as I was about to put her out of my mind I heard
- a clatter behind me as she fell over…
- I yelled back asking “Are you OK?” and she
- said softly “I’m OK” in a tone that implied to me
- that she hurt something else besides her tush and
- she let out a sigh and then
- remarked, “I guess that’s why I’m out practicing…”, and I said
- “Yeah, whatever doesn’t kill you…?” but I was too far away as she
- yelled over, “What?” as I repeated myself and said the longer version
- this time she replied, “Yeah, that’s what my mother tells me.”, and
- I was thinking, “Tough Mom”, and I bid her adieu as she was
- standing now brushing off her tush and I was close enough to see she was indeed
- alright enough for me to continue on my journey
- of intermittent pain labeled ‘fartlek’
- the drizzle continued as I passed the familiar parts heading south amazed
- by the sight of my breath as I finished each leg of speedwork
- and as I caught my invisible breath back I was able to notice the stray dog walker here and there
- and tried to identify the type of bike that approached from the rear or
- the kind of runner that was about to pass me whether
- they were heavy or tall or short or male or female or expert or novice
- which was enough of a distraction for me to get my heart rate back down
- enough to sprint the next 400 meters or so as I
- passed the Lake and came up the little hill to see the huge red billboard displaying
- the time and temperature startled to hear
- another runner breathing harder than me as she finished her speedwork
- and she gave me the motivation to do another few sprints as I turned the corner near Columbus Circle and ran until the light
- and circled back and raced back up the hill north
- just as she completed her sprint south and
- she passed me another time when I had to tease out a knot in my left foot against a pole
- as she turned ahead of me and did this curious bounce up and down the curb as she passed me the last time for the night
- I mentally thanked her for the spirited last three sprints and headed home.
