It was still too hot and miserable outside to run safely, so I braved the traffic on I95 North (it was still way too much traffic) and headed to Waterville to run again on the treadmill. I am writing this a day late and a dollar short, but happy belated Independence Day. As a retired Coastie and former history teacher, it does hold a special place in my heart and mind about what it means to me.

But that isn’t what this post is about.

Yesterday’s run was one that I haven’t done for a long time. Simply running nice and easy. I set the treadmill to 5.2 somewhere between 11:30 and 12:00 minute pace — dependent upon how accurate the treadmill’s pace/speed actually is. I don’t think that Champions treadmills have been calibrated in way too many years, so at best the pace/speed they claim is an guesstimate. Then I held it there for 3.0 miles and finished in 34:32

So what is the big deal about running slow?

The short answer is that it is harder for me to run slow, my mind wanders more, the body has more time to find all those aches and pains that have accumulated over the years and it is hard on the ego to think that in order to keep running at some point this will be my fast speed. On the other hand I know that I need to run slower if I want to keep running. The old body just can’t do the old paces and not become injured — yet again. My grandfather’s admonition of “Getting old ain’t for wimps” is becoming a truism.

There is always going to be a certain amount of discomfort if I want to run, just the way it will be. That it is harder and harder to keep getting out the door when other things have more appeal and less discomfort, both physically and mentally. Though somehow or another, I end up putting one foot in front of the other despite all the obstacles that seem to crop up.

I guess it is the “old warhorse” analogy I’ll keep trying until there ain’t no more trying to do.

In the middle of writing this post, I got the itch to go do my workout. It is a walk day, I’m trying for 5 runs a week and 2 days of walking, which seems to be the best balance for now if I want to keep my body in decent shape without damaging it too often.

Though today, I decided not to time the walk, like I usually do and once I got down to the hill on Blake, I realized I was walking my faster walk that I try to maintain when I am doing a walking workout. When I realized what I was doing, I purposely slowed myself down and relaxed. I looked at how the sunlight was going through the trees and the shadows it was making. I could hear the birds chirping away and I let myself fall into the pace that nature gave me, not the one where I ignore it. I could feel some built up stress flowing out of me and my thoughts turned much more positive.

The Japanese call it forest bathing and I could feel the difference between walking for a workout and walking to enjoy the woods around me. Well at least until the Toyota Tundra pickup came thundering past trailing a billowing dust cloud with an SUV with New York plates coming in the other direction. It was a good thing I wasn’t lost wool gathering and got off the road before came up over the little dip. He never slowed a bit and almost forced the SUV into puckerbrush. Idiot, but it did bring me back to reality and I lost that feeling of calmness to say the least.

The guy in the SUV and I commiserated by shaking our heads as he went by at a much more moderate speed. After that I just wanted to get off the dirt road, because people were starting to use it a bit too much to relax and enjoy the woods the way that I had been. I really wish that truck hadn’t come through because I was in such a good space until that happened. Joys of walking down-back on the 4th of July weekend, when the transfer station has been closed 2 of the 3 days it is usually open.

Oh well, back to reality and doing some work around the house today.