A lazy long run

If you fantasize about jumping in the river while out running, you're probably on the brink of dehydration. Because said river was neither warm or otherwise particularly inviting as I took a detour at the end of my run to bring my total distance to 30 km.

A light drizzle obscured my sight this morning as I headed west for an hour of silent, solo running before it was time to join AIK. It was only 12 degrees and grey, but the solitude and tranquility of the river somehow developed pictures in my mind of warm summer mornings. I stopped to take photos with my phone now and then, something that turned out to be less than wise towards the end of my run when I realised I would have to put in some pretty fast kilometres if I was going to make it to training in time. But it was worth it. Some views were worth saving in more than my memory.

I arrived at the hockey arena with only a couple of minutes to spare. We then embarked on a tour around Vitberget, on paths and trails darkened by the recent rain. Someone had turned the saturation levels all the way to max, and the trees were a blinding green. At places, stones were slippery, roots were hellbent on making us trip and moss was doing its best to suck our shoes off our feet. Yet, no one was complaining. Quite a few of us were laughing.

My knee didn't appreciate the scenery as much as I did. I wondered how I would manage a 30 km run on a grumpy knee. It didn't like the uphill bits, it didn't like the downhill bits. It strongly disliked the step dancing kind of running style I employed to avoid twisting an ankle on one of the stones littering the single track. The rest of me felt great.

I ran the long way home. Keeping to the river once again, I listened closely to what my body was telling me. The knee was happier, but what really surprised me was that, approaching 28 km, I still felt great. I briefly considered following the river all the way to the dam, a detour of another 5 km, but then decided against it. It may have felt like I could run all day, but it didn't mean I actually could. 

I finished my run satisfied and just tired enough. This was exactly the run I needed. In so many ways.