Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Classic

I went out running at noon on the Mall on Good Friday with two work running buddies, H and M.  We wended our way through large throngs of tourists to the Washington Monument, enroute to the Lincoln Memorial, when I spotted a man carrying a large cross in a crowd of pilgrims and I stopped to snap a picture.

I lost my two running companions.  I have no idea where they went but after looking for them on the route ahead, and the place where I stopped, and the route back to work, I gave up and headed back towards the office, mad at myself for losing them because of my impulsive action.

How can you stay mad while running?  As I approached the Capitol going back, I scrutinized the imposing prominence of Capitol Hill rising in the distance.  In the olden times I charged up that hill three times in the last mile of a fast 10K race, the venerable Capitol Hill Classic, back before I a chronic, nagging injury slowed me, back when I was younger and quicker.

Why not, I thought, do the last mile of that mile of that race right now and push it hard!  So I did, charging up the prominent third of a mile rise, acquiring the level street above and darting down the diagonal street to Stanton Square, finishing strong in front of the school there.

As I trotted back the further half mile to return to work, I was happy to partake, at least for about eight breathless minutes, in memories of times gone by but not entirely gone.  At work I encountered my two friends, who had looked for me everywhere out there (except in my past), relieved to see me returned to work in apparently fine fettle.   

2 comments:

Sunshine said...

Thank you thank you thank you for your good comments.
Best wishes for your running...
and the return of your precious boys.

Dori said...

It's not every day that you see a guy dragging a cross. I would have stopped to take a picture, too!

Thanks for the nudge. I've missed my blog and am trying to get back into it.