Running to Work

Yea, you heard me right. I've decided to start commuting to work via run a few days a week. Since I work for a cycling and triathlon company it would only seem fit that they have showers and lockers. Really that's an understatement. My boss highly encourages cycling to work and has built an amazing facility for us to store our bikes, gear and have a comfortable place to freshen up post/pre commute. We also have a very nice kitchen (yes the same kitchen with the oh-so-famous espresso machine and toaster oven) that we can store our meals in. So running or biking to work is no problem, it just takes a little planning head. Each way is 3.3 miles which puts me at an easy 10k for the day. I woke up this morning excited to start my little adventure to work. I was rather surprised that my body felt ok. I mean, I did cross fit last night and I didn't feel as if I had been thrown upside a wall....yet that it is. I did my morning Pilates, dressed to run, packed my Camelback with a change of clothes and a few meals and I was off. Brrrrr, it was a crisp and cold 42 degrees. But what a beautiful run. The way I run to work right now looks like something out of a movie. It reminds me of BIG when Tom Hanks is walking down the street as an adult and turns into a kid, he's surrounded by autumn leaves, it was just like that. BTW, don't you love when he plays the floor piano in the store? Anywho....I felt great arriving at work. IMO it was the best way to start the day. Around 11am, my body might say otherwise. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) kicked in from cross fit. My ass felt like I had steel plates squeezing them for the rest of the afternoon....that and my hamstrings had tightened up again. As the day went on I felt worse and worse...and just to think I have to run home. I was not looking forward to journey that awaited me. My body hurt, bad! I couldn't really take it easy either since it was dark and cold, I just needed to get home as fast as possible to stay warm. I used my mental ability to block out pain, and thought about the fudge frosted slice of bday cake I had after lunch as an energy source. What I was lacking was the mental ability to block out fear. I had to run along the Rock Creek bike path, which goes under HWY 26, it's not lit at all, and I forgot my mace. Seriously scared the living daylights out of me. I will not be going that way home again, nor will I forget my mace. I made it back up to Evergreen Parkway (this is the scene from BIG, remember?) It was so clear and and pretty, the pain my ass and legs where trying to inflict went unheard. Again, I was running, happy.....in pain but happy.

I'm going to enjoy this IM training....yes I am.