I knew it had been a while since I had run more than 5 miles at a time… Turns out it was March 26, when I did 6.36 miles. Today I busted out 5.2, at an average pace faster than my 10k pace. My feet and legs have been giving me trouble since last August/September. Been rolling them out (thank you, Erik, for goading me into it), and have been slowly improving. Other than a tight left hamstring, this morning's run felt great, and I know I could've gone further. I just don't want to push it until I am back to full fighting form.
One thing I was keenly aware of this morning were the different scents that I picked up along the way. Spring time running is so pleasant, with the air infused with lilac, spirea, other flowering shrubs, freshly cut grass, even a faint smell of onions… Perhaps allium? And running past the farmers market and bakeries smell amazing.
There were some negatives, too. On one of my routes, I end up running past a couple of fast food restaurants, and the smell can be absolutely sickening. If you're trying to cut back on junk food, try going past one of those places when you're exercising. At another point, I saw an SUV coming towards me, and even at a quick glance I could tell the both the driver and passenger were smokers, just by the look of their skin. Sure enough, as they drove past, I smelled overwhelming cigarette smoke, and their windows were closed!
Something about being active seems to heightens your senses. And this run also heightened my appreciation for being a healthy person with the ability to get out and run. It isn't easy, but I got it done. I love how running gives me time to think deeply and tap into an evocative sensory experience.
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