Cape Cod

Vacation. (Vacation vacation vacation vacation!)

From everything except running. I haven't even been able to read; not a novel, not even a magazine. I just need to float and walk and stare out over the swells at the horizon. And decompress.

Today, day three, after several 9.5 plus hour nights, I ran. My dad and I spent an hour on a bike path, nice and easy, steady and consistent- as it always is with dad. And as always, half in conversation and half me performing a catch him up with everything monologue and him taking advantage of the time to catch his breath.

The thing is, though, of all people, you just know he's going to finish a run or a race. Not quick, but smart and the right mix of determined and matter of fact. It's how I've been thinking about my training and marathon. It seems appropriate to the circumstance of this marathon fitting into the rest of my life and me trying not to upset the balance that's working for my health. And it's what seems natural to me; it's what I've seen and what I've had explained.

We ran through a beautiful marsh right off the bay. Long grasses lined the best parts of the path, and we could see groups of bright white herons through the gaps. I felt sleepy tired by 45 minutes from the sun and puny pre-run breakfast, but my legs were fresh.

I'm not pushing it with running since, now that I'm rested, this week should be filled with more active play. This afternoon was the first little adventure- a walk through the woods to a warm glacial pond- of many, I hope.