Shades of Gray

I was feeling uninspired to run this morning. It was gray and overcast. It was windy. My stomach was unhappy. My calves were feeling the effects of a hilly snowshoe race. Sam had woken up on the wrong side of the bed at 5:30 am and I felt like all my energy had been sapped by the time I dropped her off at daycare at 8:15. I wondered if I could somehow rearrange my schedule to just take a rest week this week :-) OK. Can't do that. Just go! I hoped I could keep it together for 18 miles.

I had planned an approximate route that took me through the little neighborhoods of Topsham, over the swinging bridge, through the outskirts of downtown Brunswick and finally out to Pleasant Hill. I like running out in that area, but man, it takes 6 miles to crest the hill at Crystal Spring Farm if I run from home! I didn't feel much wind until I hit Pleasant Hill Road, at which point I knew I was in trouble on the return trip, but oh well. Too late at that point! I took Woodside and dropped down to Maquoit Bay, marveling at the big expanse of mud flats and the serene vista out to the little islands. One of the things that I always find interesting out there is that in most ocean-view spots these days, you see big, fancy houses. Out along Woodside at the edge of the bay, it's all little working-class ranches. Nothing special, just small houses with big views. The climb up from the ocean towards Rossmore was wind-in-the-face. Meandered along Rossmore, noting a few mallards in the tidal river, and a mockingbird flying overhead, then a little jog left then right again and out towards Simpsons Point. I skipped the point, just taking the road that winds through the Pennelville fields instead. There is a stark beauty to these fields on a gray winter day like today, the glowering clouds overhead, the snow-covered fields with little corn stalks and grasses sticking through, the barns set against the sky. Today, there was a lot of wind too :-)

Back on Middle Bay, I decided to jump off the roads and onto the trail that leads into the Commons. I was feeling good but not looking forward to the long slog back in the wind. I would take the trail through the Commons and give my feet and mind a break from the pavement. I slipped and slid around on the thin ribbon of icy packed snow. My pace slowed dramatically but it was the right thing to do - I came out on the other side happy to have had the 2 1/2 miles in the woods. I ran through campus and through downtown. I was still feeling pretty good, until I hit Fort Andross and the wind and mile 16 and the long uphill up to the intersection with Rt. 196. Ah well. At least it took until mile 16 for me to hit the slow-down wall :-) The run wasn't about pace anyway. Got in all 18 of the miles I was hoping for and not a 100th more! Then it was inside and into the fridge to eat lunch and enjoy the two leftover cupcakes I'd been saving :-)