Slaying Demons at St Eds

I've always believed that if you fall off your bike, the best thing to do is to get straight back on again. So I called my mate Alan and asked him if he wanted to go run hills with me on the St Eds trails tonight.

I'll be honest, I felt like crap at the start. Completely unmotivated, and slow as ten bears. I had to struggle to keep up with Alan, but about half way through the first loop something strange happened. I hit a rhythm and felt more like my old self. Suddenly it was Alan who was struggling to keep up with me. I hit a downhill and just let go. It was exhilarating - I let gravity take me and went with it. I savored the feel of the breeze rushing past my face while my brain raced to solve jigsaw puzzles in real time - the pieces were my fast feet and the puzzle was the rocky terrain I was flying over.

By the second loop I was really in the groove and enjoying the challenge of the hills. I'd intended to stop after two, but found myself going out again for a third loop. If I'd had my headlamp I'd have gone out for a fourth. I started to reflect on the good things from last weekend's race such as the incredible sunset on top of the ridge with a breathtaking view over the lake and the way the coyotes started crazy howling all over the park around 1am - that was pretty cool.

It was an incredible run, and I'm very grateful to Alan for pushing me at the start. For the first time in a long while I actually felt like the runner who ran Bandera and Rocky Raccoon.

I hope it lasts.