Making do with what I have

I left my brain at home this morning. I woke up at 4.30, packed all my running gear in my backpack, planning on running home in the afternoon, and then put my old, worn-out Saucony on instead of my Dorothies. Why? You ask, perhaps incredulously. Because they were the ones lying in front of me? Because I was only half awake? Is that an acceptable answer or are you already dialling the men in the white coats to come and give me my medication?

I only noticed this as I was stepping on the bus. Cancelling the run was not an option. I mean, I had to get home somehow. I left work wearing the Saucony a few hours later. Was this safe? These shoes were, like, 3 years old! The cushioning is gone! My knees might break! And I'm so terribly out of fashion! My first tentative steps were light and I was so happy to be outside, breathing the cold air. The weather was decent enough (except for the wind. How is it possible that I always have headwind?) I felt the pebbles under my feet. I wouldn't be exaggerating (much) if I said that my shoes almost felt minimalistic. But they worked. They worked for 10 km and took me past cow pastures, sleepy summer cabins and beaches covered in whatever the sea had spat out the night before.

I would be lying if I said that it was a trouble-free run. Just how worn out the shoes were became more and more evident with every shock-induced ache I got in my legs. I don't run like that in my VFF, and I don't get such aches in them. I land a lot more lightly in them. More correctly, even.

I didn't exactly keep to the plan, did I? Last week I wrote that I'd take an easy month, with shorter and less frequent runs. The runs did get less frequent, but instead of getting shorter, they got longer. My last three sessions were at 10 km each and my foot feels fine. That's also a plan! Don't judge me! At least I get a proper day's rest in between runs!