Running

 

BHS Girls Track 1993

When I am in a running phase - there is nothing like it. My phase started yesterday! I think early spring does it to me. It reminds me of getting ready for track season at BHS - one of my favorite parts of high school. Putting on GOOD running socks and a great pair of shoes... The anticipation of what laid ahead of you at 2:45 in the afternoon was always a little nerve racking - Would the bus be waiting for us to head to Percy Warner Park for an practice of torture? or Would we have a light afternoon of hand-offs and starting blocks? I loved the lazy pace of warm ups, stretching on the football field, and the satisfaction of a good run all done before dinner. Track meets were always a mix of feeling like you were going to throw up and happy exhaustion. They were always satisfying after a good time... The only 3 things I would eat between lunch and finishing my leg of the 4 x 400 would be bananas, Pringles, and grape Gatorade - no Power Bars for this girl! Eye of the Tiger and Gonna Fly Now would be played on my Walkman over and over until my races began - what an iPod could have done for me in those days.

My favorite place to run was McGavock High School in Nashville - it usually meant running under the lights (!!), a big race, warmer weather, and a fast time because it was so late in the season. I think about warming up on the back stretch of that track, hearing the voice of the same starter dramatically call us to our marks, seeing my teammates cheer me on at the 100 mark, hearing Coach Sieganthaler's whistle around the 250 (I could recognize that whistle anywhere), seeing my Dad cheer at the 300, and then feeling the energy deplete as I moved in slow motion towards the glorious finish line. 

I haven't run in 3 years until this week - I am aiming for a 5K at the end of March. Even though I run A LOT slower than I used to - it still feels good to put on a pair of GOOD socks and running shoes.