Charity asked me last night, "what do you notice when you first wake up in that moment when you first come to consciousness?" I woke up this morning trying to get back to unconsciousness. Tired, hungry, and sore after yesterday's Grasshopper, I had an idea that I would do a long run as the final preparation for the Auburn duathlon in two weeks time. As I rolled out of bed, I wondered if that was the best idea.

I squeezed a glass of fresh orange juice, then I mapped out an 18k route along the ridge with some of my favorite roads: Burnside and Gold Ridge. You can see the entire valley from the top of Gold Ridge. It's stunning. "Ok, I can do this," I told myself. "I just need to do the distance; don't worry about going fast"

I can see why people like Dean Karzas love running and can do it for mile after mile after mile. When you get into the zone of being in the moment with your breathing, your stride, and the beauty of it all, that's good stuff. I had that going for most of my run.

By the time I hit the bottom of Mill Station, my legs weren't liking the downhills so much anymore, and I was contemplating if an extra glass of OJ would've been good. I made it through Ragle Park with some presence left, but for the last two miles I just wanted to get home. This is when your practice gets tested. Can you keep focused on form and breathing when your legs ache and all you really want to do is stop? Good stuff. I look foward to seeing how my form turns out in a couple of weeks.