The Journey – 271.2 Miles:
Running along side of the Union Pacific railroad track in the Mojave National Preserve, the A2B Virtual Run marks a few more miles toward Cima, California. There is only about 600 ft left in the 2,000 ft uphill climb from Kelso to Cima.
Off to the west are the Beale Mountains. This range is one of the smallest mountain ranges in the United States. It is only about 2.5 miles long.
The Run:
Having recently moved, I finally discovered the box that contained my calf stretcher. This is a plastic stretching tool that looks like a funky half-moon. To use it, I place one foot onto the calf stretcher. Then I roll my foot backward so the toes point upward. When people use this for the first time, they are often surprised at how good this feels. Aside from feeling really good, it helps to increase range of motion in the ankle and calf muscles. It is lightweight and portable. I actually have two. One to use at home, and one at the office. That way I can continuously stretch throughout the day. Being able to use it this morning made a huge difference on my run!
Because have heavy thunderstorms, yesterday ended up being a Rain/Rest Day. I do not like to go very long without running. So, I woke up this morning very eager and hopeful to get my running fix for today. They weather still looked questionable. But I decided risk the chance of some external hydration and run anyway.
It turned out to be a good choice. There was only about a quarter miles worth of light rain. I think the endorphins must have missed me yesterday, because they showed up early today. The entire run felt great.
The Mind:
Friday, the 13th arrived on my calendar a few days early. Yesterday delivered a deluge of weighty problems to solve, mostly at work. So on today’s run, I immersed my thoughts in what to do or how to resolve some of the bigger/more urgent challenges at hand. For me, a big part of the task is removing emotion from problems and solutions. Also, I try to look at each issue from a variety of perspectives. I considered a small host of other details. I thought for a few moments about how grateful I am to be surrounded by good, good people (which, of course is better than being surrounded by just ‘good’ people). While no one problem got solved on today’s run, I have a pretty good idea how to move forward.
Finally, I looked a few days ahead. My oldest daughter is coming to visit me for a few days! I made a small list of things I need to do before her arrival on Saturday. I am so excited to see her!!