Day 2: Due for a Stinker?

The birds are singing. The stars are bright, but the predawn light is already forcing them to begin to wink out. I'm on the Lester Rail Trail, one of my favorite locations for long runs. I've posted many a story about these runs; here's one from fifteen years ago called, I Squashed a Yellow-jacket in my Singlet Today.

Lester Rail Trail (from the Medina County Parks website)

I am pretty sure I won't have time to run 24 miles today. It will probably be closer to the lower end of my long-run threshold of 18 miles. Even so, I'll have to maintain a half-way decent pace throughout, especially considering the several pit-stops that I'm necessarily making. How am I doing? Best not to know, so don't look at the watch. Don't look at the watch. Don't look at the watch. Oooops... I look at my watch. Aargh! - my pace is too darn slow.

It's getting lighter, and now I'm at mile five of the first six-mile out and back loop. I am still going so slow that I'm beginning to think this run may wind up being a complete stinker. I may not even make it to eighteen. Then I look behind me, and the sunrise is spectacular. There are reds, oranges, yellows, blues, and purples, and everything in between. The sight inspires me. But will said inspiration be enough to get me moving?

At the ten-mile mark in the second circuit, I guess I am finally running at the expected pace. Maybe I will make it to eighteen after all.

With only a couple miles to go, I am heading back to the car. I'm moving at my best pace yet. This is surprising, given that poor start. I am thinking about how I miss my running friends. I thought it possible that I may even see Michelle and Andy Wolff, or perhaps some of the others. But no, they must be socially distancing someplace else today. I do see a few other folks walking and running. Ahead of me, I see a guy with silver hair and green shorts. Could it be Tom Bieniosek? Thinking about it, I determine that it couldn't be anyone else.

I catch up and talk briefly with Tom, staying, of course, at the social distance of the width of the trail. I hadn't seen Tom for quite a while. He seems fine.

I move on and finish up. I wind up with nineteen and a quarter miles today. I'll walk for a few more later on.

This is day two of The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K. I'll try to continue to do these daily posts about my experiences.

General Info about The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000K
Info about my own participation in GVRAT