Where did you go? Do you run anymore?

Bruce: Where did you go?
Tom: I have been off the map in India.
Bruce: Do you run anymore?
Tom: I ran two days in India before my calf became so tight that it was sore walking around. I will resume running in the New Year.

Where are you going

Bruce: Hey where are you going? What about the blog?
Tom: I am going to India right now, just finished exams. No running the past few days due to work and ridicuritus. I will update when I can

Walking into mirrors

Tom: I walked into a mirror today.
Bruce: Excuse me?
Tom: Yup walked right into a mirror mounted on the wall.
Bruce: On purpose?
Tom: No, I thought it was a hallway when really it was just the reflection of the hallway I had just walked down.
Bruce: Wow.
Tom: It actually works well as analogy for my running at the moment.
Bruce: Can we just stick to the you being an idiot analysis.
Tom: No think about it, I keep getting a bit excited that I see a long hallway in front of me that is going to lead somewhere exciting with my running. Then I get excited and walk right towards it. The more excited I am about the possibility of where this attempt at running will take me the faster I go and the more it hurts when it turns out to just be a mirror. I keep running because I think I see a hallway that goes somewhere and really the opportunity that I think I see is behind me. No matter how many times or how hard that I run at the mirror, the result will be a sore body and being back at where I started.
Bruce: Well maybe I have a solution to this problem.
Tom: What is that?
Bruce: Nah, I got nothing
Tom: Ran 23 minutes, my calf on my right side is so sore but have two exams in the next two days and flying to India two hours after the second exam so probably will not even bother for the next few days.

Nervous

Tom: I am a bit nervous about a big test that I have tomorrow.
Bruce: Why what is the worst that can happen?
Tom: I don't know, I do terrible and I am disgraced in front of friends and family.
Bruce: Yeah, failing terribly at something in a public forum, that would be really tough for you.
Tom: Yeah it would.... oh I just got it....shut up.... 24 minutes of running.

Corporations and 24 minutes of glory

Bruce: Why do you look pleased with yourself?
Tom: Corporation law is starting to make sense to me.
Bruce: Isn't this a running log?
Tom: Yeah, so what?
Bruce: Well shouldn't the mood on your blog be dependant on your running?
Tom: What the should mood be then?
Bruce: Well, how long did you run for today?
Tom: 24 minutes and felt a bit tight but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Bruce: Then the blog mood should be close to bi-polar with a hint of zoloft.

Snow and finals

Bruce: You are getting lazy updating this blog.
Tom: I am in the middle of a very hard finals run.
Bruce: So you do not have five minute to update this blog about taking a day off from running in preparation for the 2012 para-Olympics.
Tom: This para-Olympian ran 24 minutes through a snow storm today.
Bruce: Nice work, you may break 100 minutes for the week.
Tom: I could make the I am going at a mile a minute joke but I will save myself the humiliation.
Bruce: Your two remaining fans thank you.

45 minutes of running since my last post

Bruce: You went for a 45 minute run?
Tom: No
Bruce: So you ran yesterday?
Tom: Yes
Bruce: And today?
Tom: Yes
Bruce: So three day of running?
Tom: Yes
Bruce: So I guess this begs the age old question, if a washed-up runner manages to run 20 minutes for three days in a row and nobody hears about it, does anyone care?
Tom: Do you want me to answer that?
Bruce: No I know the answer, yes, one person cares, but it unfortunately it is me.... [Bruce leaves]
Tom: The answer was me. All of them were good runs and I am feeling a bit better. Always a treat to get a decent run in when you think you are buggered.

Day one

Bruce: You went for a run today?
Tom: Yup.
Bruce: How long?
Tom: Didn't time it.
Bruce: How long?
Tom: Not really sure.
Bruce: Could you ballpark it?
Tom: Between 3 and 3.2 miles
Bruce: Yeah, I could see why the vague answers were a good move. Nice run, it sounded better before you put a number on it.

A new plan

Tom: So I have been a bit lost for the past few days.
Bruce: Haven't you been in your cubicle for the past days studying?
Tom: Yes.
Bruce: So you have been getting lost going to the place that you have worked at for the past 3 months?
Tom: Not literally lost, metaphorically lost.
Bruce: Oh, so you mean that you have been finding your way to your desk but cannot think of how to spin the fact that you are huge loser who spends all his time in a three foot cubicle.
Tom: Will you just listen to the plan. One more day off to get rid of whatever weird inflammation is going on. Then I will run 20 minutes every other day until it loosens up. I had the same problem in Colorado and I remember that running lightly on it seemed to help.

Confused

Tom: I am confused about what to do.
Bruce: You should definitely abandon this blog.
Tom: That is not what I am confused about, I am keeping the blog.
Bruce: Why?
Tom: To allow people to watch the comeback happen from the beginning.
Bruce: So what are you confused about?
Tom: Whether I should run.
Bruce: Seems like that might help the comeback.
Tom: True.
Bruce: How was the run today?
Tom: I ran with a guy from Law School and had a really good chat over the course of a 43 minute run. But my right side is still a bit out of whack and my hamstring is sore and tight afterwards, which left me in a bad mood for a few hours and detracted from studying.
Bruce: So you are trying to figure out whether you want to run tomorrow and get really injured sooner or wait a few days start running again and delay the massive injury for another few weeks?
Tom: Exactly.
Bruce: Well I could save you some time and just kick you in the groin now instead.

Too Tired

Tom: Too tired to post today.
Bruce: Why what did you do today that is so hard to explain?
Tom: Well I did nothing today except for school work.
Bruce: There, was that hard?
Tom: No, I guess I was too tired to explain myself.
Bruce: It is alright, anyone still searching for reason at this point is crazy.

Walk not Run

Tom: My back is still a bit sore and it is sending tightness all down my right side.
Bruce: Tightness? Soreness? What is this? Isn't this supposed to be a training blog?
Tom: Wow, a motivational talk?
Bruce: Nah, I am just messing around. I know that you are pathetic. But go on, I stopped you right when the story was getting good.
Tom: Funny, I went for a walk and hopefully things feel better tomorrow.
Bruce: Don't stop, tell us about the walk? Did you see any pretty trees?
Tom: A few trees
Bruce: How did that make you feel?
Tom: Quite nice, wait.... alright I am done.

Pain in the back

Tom: I could not find Bruce. However, I am taking tommorow off. A timeline:
7:50 am- Wake up incredibly optimistic after a great 45 minute run the day before.
8:05 am- Lower back is a little sore, worried about recreating the sore back/hamstring problem of two weeks ago.
9:30 am- I start the massaging my back and my hamstring during class.
9:32 am- People start to stare wondering whether all the rubbing is due to me having some sort of fungal infection.
9:34 am- Fungal infection theory confirmed by one of my friends (no longer a friend)
2:15 pm- Get out of class and start talking to myself trying to decide whether my not too sore back merits a day off.
2:17 pm: People start to ask former friend whether his friend with the fungal infection suffers from some kind of mental disorder.
2:45 pm: I decide to take the day off.
2:47 pm: I leave to go for my run.
3:20 pm: Have a miserable run since too concerned about my back/ hamstring which seems to be alright.
4:00 pm: Still feel fine.
9:00 pm: Right side just generally tight stemming from back, wondering what is wrong with Tom McArdle.

Cookie Monster

Bruce: Have we switched to family friendly titles?
Tom: This is a family friendly blog.
Bruce: As in, the only people that actually read this blog are your direct family and thereby they constitute the only friends of the blog.
Tom: F-off, I ran 43 minutes today and finished the run by eating a plate full of cookies.