What Can this Mean?

I woke up at 5:30 this morning, ready to run my regular Tuesday 7-mile run. Then, I made the mistake of checking my Blackberry. Forty-five minutes and one lengthy, moderately heated e-mail reply later, I realized that I had lost my opportunity to run this morning. I was not too bothered, as I have occasionally taken a day off every so many weeks in the past, and have actually felt very good as a result. So I went on with my day.

The thought of running kept popping into my head as I drove to work. At work, I could feel myself getting antsy. I contemplated a walk on the treadmill at lunch, but I knew that wouldn't do the trick. By about 2:00 this afternoon, I had decided that somehow, I was going to have to slip out of the house this evening and run. I just had to figure out how! As the day progressed, my opportunity became clear: The Bachelor was on again tonight for a full hour. No way would I be caught dead watching that show. The kids would be in bed, and I knew my wife would be glued to the TV. It was The Office's "win-win-win"!

About an hour and a half after two helpings of spaghetti and meatballs, I donned my Nike tights and a short-sleeved shirt, and I was out the door. Despite my Rhapsody problems of late, I was able to listen to some new music on my old Verizon phone. I was a little bothered by the mellowness of Poor Old Lu at first, but I then realized that so soon after dinner, I did not need to run with any serious intensity.

My gut was full for 4 of the 5 miles. I guess during the 5th mile, things had completely settled. I passed 6 people while running, all of them men, all of them no doubt also trying to escape their Bachelor-broadcasting homes. I also noticed some things I don't normally get to see during my morning runs, like the solar-powered landscaping lights in the lawn of my wife's childhood home, which I run past 3 days a week.

Most of my thoughts during my run focused on the upcoming marathon. Cowtown was this past weekend, and a few of my friends went. I'm sure it was very exciting, and it makes me anticipate April 26th that much more.

Ultimately, my hope is that my irrepressible desire to run today was an indication that I am becoming a runner, and not just somebody who runs.

3-3-08
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 42:37
Avg. Mile Pace: 8:26