Small Steps, Slow Pace

I ran today for the first time since I ran the Chicago Marathon on October 9th of last year. It was what I expected --not that great performance-wise. Although, that doesn't matter. I ran for two reasons: to finally get out the door and do it, and because I needed some stress relief, due to a phone conversation with my attorney about ongoing litigation in a lawsuit I filed almost a year ago. Even though I ran 26.2 miles only a few months ago, I'm starting back at the bottom; I ran less that two miles and it felt like ten. My breathing was off, my calves ached, and my quads felt even the smallest change in elevation. Even though I kept feeling the need to spit my mouth was dry, and my nose was running the entire time. I've still yet to sit down and reflect on my first marathon experience, which I will do soon, but in short I can say that it was over five hours of strong gut wrenching emotions, and although I only ran for less than seventeen minutes today, some of the exact same emotions resurfaced. It's a good and bad thing I suppose --anything cathartic is, and that's what running is for me. Not too different than performing my music on a stage. There has to be blood, sweat, and tears to get from point A to point B. At least that's been my personal experience; it's never been easy. And so another year of running and goal-setting has begun, and hopefully it will lead to greater milestones...and definitely past many, many mile markers.