Chasing my shadow, running from zombies.

March is a difficult month in Minnesota. Technically, spring has arrived. This year, it even feels like it, with temperatures in the 60's and 70's for the last few weeks. But, she's a fickle one, and we will be dropping back into the 40's again next week. It will feel all the more intolerable now that we have had a taste of sun and sky. Granted, it's not as bad as last year, when the cold hung on for so long that the movie Frozen was seeming more and more plausible by the day. Seriously, Elsa. Get some Prozac or something!

 I spent the winter on the treadmill, face towards the bare, cinderblock wall of the basement. It got...dull...rather quickly. As my runs got longer, it got harder and harder to tolerate. When you are going to spend an hour or more there, you need to find a way to keep your brain engaged. 

The basement lights cast my shadow onto that cinderblock wall. I started using that shadow. I'd watch it, monitoring my form. Head up, shoulders back, arms relaxed with a natural swing. When my hip or knee got sore, I would notice the dip in my shoulder. A clue. I was favoring one side, running the risk of injuring the other. Time to slow down, or stop. I would stare at my shadow, seeing myself winning races, setting personal records. From time to time, cheesy finish line, hands-in-the-air poses may have been tried out. Shut up: I'm going to look freaking awesome in my marathon finishing photo! 

My other method for entertainment is to run from zombies. The Zombies, Run! ap tells you a story as you run, a story of you being one of a shattered handful of human survivors, trying to maintain the shreds of civilization. With fuel critically low, and technology spotty, runners are the method of carrying messages, collecting supplies, and gathering information. It's a silly, fun, engaging story. The voice actors are mostly British, which has led to some funny occasions where, while listening to the BBC in the car after a run, I found myself thinking "Are they seriously talking about Manchester United when I just spent an hour running from the walking dead?! Where are their priorities?!" 

I've been enjoying this window of fine weather. I missed running my two miles of gravel. I've worked hard this winter, and "running the section", the country equivalent of going around the block (a just-over-four mile block) is no longer the outrageous proposition it used to be. That said...good lord, there are a lot of hills out here! Being at the top of the hill, which provides us with our amazing view, means that, no matter which direction I go when I leave my driveway, I will have to finish up hill. A little sting in the ass, so to speak. 

The scenery more than makes up for the hills. A ten mile run, which sounds like torture on a treadmill, is sounding like an adventure on the roads. A none-too-easy adventure, lets be honest! I've never run ten miles. I've run eight, without too much trouble. But there is a mental aspect to ten miles. Two digits. A distance that 99% of us consider totally worthy of using a car. And I intend to run it. Thats a loooong way. And I'm not fast, so it's also a long time. And what if I have to go to the bathroom? What if my GPS dies? What if I end up at the farthest point from home and just can't do it? 

I don't really have a choice. The Zombies are breathing down my neck. Or is that the half marathon I said I would run?