Running or Writing?

January marked the start of my 23rd year of running. It seems odd to say that; as in, can I really be that old? But we've had that conversation many times here on the blog and I'd rather not beat a dead horse, as they say. Running is many things to different people, but for me it has been a joy, a comfort, a haven, and a doctor all rolled into one.

The other morning, I had coffee with a friend. We'd been trying for a year to get together, and life seemed to always be in the way. We'd plan a time and place and one of our kids would get sick, or a snow day would present itself, keeping us from meeting up. Well, we finally made it to see one another and we had a great time. It was good to chat and catch up on family life as well as talk about what was going on at school.

At one point, M mentioned that she used to run, and that she needed to get back to it. Run, you say? Of course, my ears perked up. After this long, it's a reflex. M said she'd been attending a small group that met a few times a week for a jog, but they pushed her from 1 mile to 5 within a month and she ended up sore and at the physical therapist's office with SI (sacroiliac) joint pain.

Me: If you can do that, wow. But I'm betting that's why you got hurt. Too much, too quickly.
M: Yeah, I'm thinking that, too.
Me: How fast were you guys going?
M: Well, we'd finish 5 miles in about 40-45 minutes.
Me: That's my target range. Maybe we could run together sometime.

I like M. I'd love to run with her or I never would have suggested it. She straightened her back and her face became animated. She looked excited.

M: I'd love to do that. When do you normally go?
Me: I try to get out somewhat early, but I could be flexible.
M: We were going before school, meeting at 5:15 am. Do you think you could ever do that?

You all know I'm an early riser. I rolled out of bed today at 5:23 am. I used to meet a friend to go running at 5:45 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I never thought I'd say no to getting up and running so early. And I didn't. But here's what I did say:

Me: Well, I've been getting up early to write...

And there it is. Has my running been replaced by writing? I don't think so, because I still need to run to keep my demons at bay. But when I told Tim of this exchange, his response?

Tim:  Wow. That says something.

Indeed, it does.