Wednesday!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013 · Mike Davis

Good morning, Grab a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. Last night was one of those evenings that was perfect for running. I was eager to get out and test my hip after a week of rehab and rest and the fact that it was a perfect fall evening made me that much more eager. Our team training called for a 60 minute run and unlike most of our runs which are an out and back, last nights course was a loop that would leave us short of 60 minutes so people could enjoy some add on of their own choice. Though a bit less structured I like this option once and a while as it gives the runners a chance to group up and enjoy each other. As luck with have it I hooked up with Natalie, who is one of the few that I had not coached prior to this group. Natalie is 19 months younger than I as we determined, she's an accountant and she battles with a daughter over what's more important right now; her daughter's life or her Mothers first ever journey to a half marathon. As Natalie and I moved through Portsmouth I was certain that my partner was liking me less and less, every time I checked my watch and announced that we had a ways to 60, I believe Natalie thought either I was adding minutes or my watch stopped working! At one point Natalie stated that she should be able to run less time because she was running faster than normal. I laughed at her and she took that as my answer. For me, I was enjoying the satirical complaining a great deal and when I took a right instead of a left toward the store I was smiling knowing that if she could possibly push me over the bridge at that moment she would. Finally we headed for the store with 5 minutes to go and we needed to really push to get to 6 miles, I challenged Natalie to stay with me, I coaxed her with encouragement and then my Garmin died. Knowing that we most likely hit our 60 minutes and 6 miles I slowed up to a walk as she pulled up next to me. She looked at her Garmin and figured out that she had just run her fastest mile and that we did in fact hit exactly 6 miles! At that point I asked her for a piggyback ride the rest of the way, for which she turned me down! Instead we enjoyed a few minutes of walking and a few more laughs. All and all it was a great run for no other reason than the fun I had with Natalie. As runners signed out many talked about their runs and it appeared that everyone had similar stories and a good time as well. Exactly what running should be about! My hip wasn't perfect but that was a perfect 60 minutes. Thanks Natalie! Have a great day and thanks for having coffee with me! mike