The Longest Seven Miles

This morning I went for a run with a friend of mine, Dave, who I met during last year's Marine Corps Marathon. We ran 7.3 miles or so down by his neck of the woods in northern Virginia, starting about 7:30 a.m. Mental notes to self:

1) As I am not used to running early in the day, I need to be careful to eat heartily the night before so that I do not get hungry and depleted during the run;

2) Sunny, 85*F, and humid is normal in Maryland and Virginia during the summer, and 7:30 a.m. is no exception;

3) That's why I prefer to run at night, when even if the heat hasn't broken, the sun has at least set;

4) Walking a few hundred yards is better than giving up;

5) It would have been easier still, in a perverse way, just to have stayed in better shape.

These lessons are applicable in some ways to life in general. For instance, it is good to plan ahead, know what one is getting oneself into, and to show up with enough reserves to get the job done. Likewise, reality can be harsh and draining, not just during the summer; sometimes taking it easy on oneself is the most prudent thing to do. Just get back in there, and don't give up.