Lights Out

1/12/12     There’s nothing like doing a track workout after working a 13-hour day at two different jobs, the last of which required me to be on my feet from 4:30 in the afternoon until 9:30 at night. I arrived at the MHS track around 9:40 to find the stadium lights that surprised us the week before by being partially turned on were again lighting the 400 meters of soft rubber we’d soon be racing around. I slid my car seat back as far as it could go and changed into my running gear in the cramped quarters as I waited for Matt and Paul to pull in the parking lot for our workout. I had just finished retying my running shoes nice and snug with the steering wheel pressing into my face as Matt pulled in the lot and parked next to me.

     “I was just going to text you that the lights are on again tonight,” Matt said as we both got out of our cars, “but you’re already here.” We decided to start our warm-up while waiting for Paul. My legs felt completely dead while we plodded around the track talking about how many weeks we thought the lights would be on for our Thursday evening track workouts and how Matt had officially registered for the May 6 marathon in New Jersey we’re training for. We had run about 2 miles when Paul joined us on the track and quickly prepared for our half-mile repeats.

     Our question about the stadium lights was answered from above 300 meters into our first interval when abruptly, all the lights simultaneously turned off, leaving us to finish up in the dark. During the 400 meter leisurely trot between intervals one and two, we briefly talked about how the darkness on the track makes us run faster. Runners always emphasize the positive no matter the circumstances, and in this case it may have worked to our benefit because legs that were sore and tired during the warm-up laps were still able to carry me through all 5 repeats in an average of 2:55 per half-mile.

     Paul decided to run a couple more half-mile repeats to get a longer workout in, but my legs were beat after running for eight days straight (I had taken an early day off on Wednesday instead of Friday the week prior and my next rest day would be the next) so Matt and I just extended our warm-down, enjoying the unseasonably warm winter weather a while longer as Paul finished up. After walking back to our cars and briefly stretching, we made some tentative plans about when and where we’d run together next. Training for a marathon is time-consuming and hard work, I’m very happy that I don’t have to go it alone.