To hell with the calendar—it must be spring ‘cause I’m pumped and ready to run.  Who wants to run with me?

After a huge wintertime hiatus of almost not running at all, I’m hot on the path again, ready to hit the streets and let my feet carry me onward to anywhere.  No, I speak not in metaphors—I’m about to pound the pavement and resume my second equivalent of circumnavigating the globe (accumulated mileage now in excess of 25,000).

I don’t know precisely why I got lulled into non-running quiescence, but  yesterday afternoon for one brief shining moment, despite the fact that I was  embattled with fatigue and looking at the world with tired eyes,  interiorly I visualized in a flash the exuberance of youth cavorting in mayhem down the sullen wintry street that I was driving along.  And then once again at 6:30 PM, when I gazed at a clock and my tired mind told me that “the day grows late,” I flashed back to those days of my very own  when at the very same time I’d be running just the second of three 5-mile daily jaunts.   “Damn this man,”  I swore.  Cursing, bitching to myself…”to fatigue, never suborn, never submit.”   And then…then…I awoke!   My feet grew happy just envisioning the run that I was to run this morning.  And when I ran this morning (about 2 miles) and got done, I ran two more “victory laps” around my block (about 1.5 miles).  Now here’s the quest: to run everyday starting with 3 miles and working up to 6.  Then by mid-March to start running weekend mini-marathons (13 miles), working myself back into shape to run the Cleveland marathon on April 28th.  I’m adamant—going to do it—may Mercury and Hermes bear witness and allow my feet to lead the way!  Now whose game to run the marathon with me?  Or must my long-distance running re-embrace its ever present friend—lonliness?!   Whatever.  I’m off…!