It was still raining when I woke up Saturday morning but it stopped before I started my run. However, towards the east, west, north and south, the clouds were thick and ominous, as if ready to drench the area with more water. With no hint of sunlight breaking through, I bedecked myself in a Goretex jacket and a hat, expecting to get caught in a downpour. Then I headed out for my run without my spectacles. My eyeglasses would have been totally useless anyway. My near vision is okay, far vision totally the opposite, but as long as I’m not driving I can manage without eyeglasses since I run so slowly anyway. Thus began my unfocused run.
I had been visualizing this run in the past few days and since I was not signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon and had nobody to run with, I wanted to do a private half marathon alone. I was going to attempt to run/walk 13.1 miles. Starting out slowly, I could already feel heaviness in my legs and breathing. I must not have recovered fully from the hard 6 mile run I did on Thursday. I was hoping the feeling would be better after getting warmed up. I kept plugging along but after about 3 miles I realized that I would not have the energy to complete 13.1 miles, so I reduced my goal and decided to go out for 45 minutes and back for the same amount of time. 1 ½ hours of running would be good enough on the still slick streets of Long Beach and Lakewood. With the clouds looming darkly, I could only hope to finish before it rained again. The puddles of water on the ground had mostly drained but could reappear if it started raining again.
When I turned around after about 48 minutes to head back home, my legs and breathing felt a little better. Maybe it was a psychological effect of knowing that all I had to do was get back to where I started from. Somehow the clouds held up as well as I did and I made it back home without getting drenched other than with my own sweat. 3 ½ pounds of sweat, that is. Although my vision was unfocused for more than 9 miles and I couldn’t see too far ahead of me, I managed to navigate on familiar streets while half blind and got back home safely. 13.1 miles would have to wait for another day.
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