It was bound to happen. 

I’m a runner.  I love running.  But, I didn’t want to run tonight. 

I’m tired, or, more accurately, my legs are tired.

Prior to my surgery (now 13 weeks ago), I spent most of my computer time at my standing desk.  That all changed when I couldn’t stand without crutches.  While I tried to be (somewhat) active, during these last few months, I have done lot of work in a sitting position.  This week (finally) I have been standing for the majority of my work.  (It’s tiring.)

Early in the day, I also did my leg exercise assignments from physical therapy and I lifted weights.

In addition, in the afternoon, I took a nice long walk with my wife (it was gorgeous outside).  We covered about three miles.

And, finally, in between all of that, we cleaned out the garage and I got my old boxing gym set-up again, as well as setting up a workbench of sorts as a place for my wife and I to do small projects .  (I’m trying to be handy…or something like that.  Last Christmas, my wife and I built boxes to give as gifts.  They were pretty nice.  Once, a long time ago, we helped Santa Claus make a Noah’s Ark game for our kids.)

A quick word about the boxing gym… I don’t fight.  I’ve never fought.  If I’d get in a fight, I’d get hurt – badly.  But I enjoy working the bags (as they say) (or as I think they say).  It’s a good way to get a full body exercise and I am glad I was able to get my little garage boxing gym in order so that I can exercise there tomorrow.  (When one spends his formative years watching the Rocky movies over and over and over, he feels a need to at least go through the motions of being a fighter.)

All of that to say, my legs were worn out.  I did more than enough today.  I didn’t want to run, but, with rain forecast for tomorrow, I knew I had to run today.  I need to stay on schedule.  So, reluctantly, I got in the car and headed to the track.

My goal today was three laps (3/4 of a mile).  I’ll cut to the chase.  I made it.  

There were numerous people working out at the track today.  (I did say it was a gorgeous day, right?) We all kept our social distance except for a high school kid who flew by me during one of my three laps.  He went so fast, it actually gave me pause for a moment.  Still, it was nice to see people out and exercising.

My run went well.  I improved my times over my run two days ago.  My distance didn’t change, but my times improved.  Here is how I did today:

Lap 1 – 2:30 (total time)

Lap 2 – 4:55 (total time, or a 2:25 lap)

Lap 3 – 7:13 (total time, or a 2:18 lap)

Yeah, we call that running negative splits.  They were slow negative splits, but they were negative splits nonetheless.  (At this point, I’l take what I can get.)

With that, I walked to cool down, and then headed home.

Success. 

I’m getting there.

***

(Note – If you see anyone wearing a NYC Marathon shirt like the one I am wearing in the photo above, ask them if they ran that race.  Except for a few who did it on their own, no one ran the race that year – the race was cancelled after Hurricane Sandy.  Most people, like me, stayed home.  Only a few die-hards went to Central Park to run their own unsanctioned marathon.  The next year, New York Road Runners gave out the medals and shirts to people who asked for them.  Like me.)