The run I needed

After a much needed day off from running, I returned to Forbidden Drive around 5:15 this evening. The last three runs had been so discouraging that I knew I needed a good run to keep my motivation from crumbling.

The weather co-operated. The temperature was in the lower 50s, the sky overcast with occasional drops of rain. I started out planning to run four miles tonight, a goal I believed attainable given the better conditions.

After a brief warm-up jog and some stretching, I began running in earnest towards Northwestern Avenue from the 2-1/2 mile marker by the Valley Green Inn. The first mile was somewhat difficult, and I began having second thoughts about running four miles tonight.  After the first mile, however, I began to feel good.  I continued past the covered bridge, the point at which I would have turned around had I planned to run only three miles. 

The run between the covered bridge and Bell’s Mill Road, the 1/2 mile marker, seems easier. The stretch has the nicest surfaces of Forbidden Drive, and it’s shady and flat. By this point, I was feeling good. Psychologically, arriving at Bell’s Mill was a boost. While only two miles in, the sense of having conquered the distance from Valley Green Inn is gratifying.  Still, I had to turn around and run two more miles.

I continued to feel strong as I passed the covered bridge a second time. Nevertheless, I began planning to slow down some in order to improve my chances of finishing the fourth mile strong. When I began the third mile, I began my slow, deliberate trot, and although I sped up some, I didn’t speed up again until the last half mile.

The last half mile felt great. I reached the 2-1/2 mile marker with energy to spare. Above all, the run had done wonders for my motivation.

An additional factor contributed to my exhilaration during my run. I listened to the wonderful Brahms Fourth recording that Leonard Bernstein made with the Vienna Philharmonic in the early 1980s. This may be my favorite recording of the piece. Bernstein’s slower, weightier tempi also helped me at times to adjust my running pace (although I usually avoid running in sync with the music I’m listening to). The recording undoubtedly helped keep my spirits high throughout most of the run.