Back on the Towpath!

Today I ran eleven miles, which I haven't done in a looooong time.  I was initially reluctant to go through with all the miles for several reasons:

1.  I have a cold.  Or allergies.  Or something that only lets me breathe through one nostril at a time.  Grrrrr.

2.  My daughter and I saw The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee last night at Copley High School (GREAT job, kids!), and then we had ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery afterward.  The point is  that I got to bed a bit later than I normally do, and I ended up taking some nighttime cold medicine, which finally knocked me out.

3.  Because of said cold medicine, I had a difficult time getting around this morning.

4.  Once again, it is freaking COLD out there!  Thanks, Ohio.  Thanks for nothing.

Well, because I have taken the opportunity to learn about myself through running, I knew the above reasons were merely excuses, and I had to get off my butt and run.  Keep in mind that  you need to learn what works for you.  I know that if I have a stuffy nose, running will help it. . . well, run.  This rule may be different for you, and you may have to give yourself a rest day.  I know that I can function very well on little sleep (I had 6 1/2 hours last night, which is not enough for me on weekends), especially when I can compensate later with a nap (I hope). These rules may not apply to you; learn what your rules are.

I'm glad I ran because the company was so nice (thanks to Stacie, Daniel, and Erin), the cold air felt good, and it felt great to get my heart pumping.  After about eight miles,  I peeled off from the pack and continued the rest of the way on the Towpath, which was terrific.

This is the Beaver Marsh after the Ira Road Trailhead.

This is the Boardwalk around the Beaver Marsh.  Notice how pretty the clouds are!

In the last two miles of my run, I was behind an older gentlemen who invited me to keep pace with him.  Actually, he heard me sniffling and coughing and asked me if I was ok, but I don't need much encouragement, so I started running with him.  His name is Jim, IRONMAN Jim, and he is amazing! I asked him what he is training for, and he said a triathlon.  I gave the typical response most people give, "Wow!  That's cool.  I can't ever do the swimming part of a triathlon, so I really admire those who do it."

He replied, "Don't say 'ever' because you never know.  I didn't learn how to swim until I was fifty.  Now I've run three Iron Mans, some Half-Iron Mans, and lots of other races."  Three Iron Mans!!!!  Holy Shmoly!  He even told me that he ran his most recent Iron Man at the age of 62!

I love meeting new people on the running path.  There are so many places for inspiration, and runners are just the best group of people ever.

Can you tell that I'm on a runner's high right now?

Five weeks until my Pro Football Hall of Fame relay (read about the relay here), and eight weeks until the Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon!  I'm so excited to meet the other #RunCLE Ambassadors and run through my favorite Cleveland neighborhoods.  Will I see you there?

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