2.2 miles
ywca track
Went to the y in the early evening, before community band rehearsal. Too crowded to swim, so I ran. Not as nice as running outside, but better than the treadmill. Listened to a playlist and forgot to count laps or notice the time. The track was crowded but not too crowded and not filled with oblivious people spread across the three lanes.
People I Encountered
- a woman who walked in the closest lane to the railing but often drifted over
- a guy, dressed in black shorts, a black shirt, and black running shoes, sprinting around the track then stopping to do battle ropes
- a tall guy with a blue shirt with the words “event staff” printed on it, watching over 2 young boys, shirtless, shoeless, and in sweat pants. Sometimes he held one of their hands as they carefully ran around the track. Sometimes he lifted them up at the far end so they could do pull-ups. As I left the track, I heard him say to one of the kids: you just ran a mile!
- 2 runners — a woman and a 10? year-old boy. Moving effortlessly around the track, their feet rhythmically rising and falling
- a guy in brown — not tan, but not dark either — shorts, running in a way that resembled speed walking
- an older woman in a white sweatshirt and dark pants, walking
- basketball practice below, in the gym — loud, exuberant players running up and down the court
- a man off in the corner doing burpees — his long torso and tall arms stretched high as he jumped up at the end of each one
- 2 men walking — the younger one looking out for the older one, making sure he didn’t veer out in front of any runner passing by
- a guy in a white shirt stretching before his run, doing leg swings
Other things I remember:
There was a white bucket for collecting drips set up in the middle lane on one side of the track. Scott peered into it and noticed that the bucket was dry. Why, he wondered, was it there?
Running the short end at the top, near the double doors, I saw a double shadow — 2 of me. At first I thought someone was about to pass me, but I was alone. Must have passed in front of the light just right. Strange and cool.
It was very dry on the track. My throat burned after a few laps.
As I turned the corners, I unintentionally tilted my head to the side. Corners are irritating.
At the far end, near where the man was doing the burpees and the kids were doing pull-ups, a banner was spread above the railing, blocking my view of the corner as I neared it. I imagined running straight into a group of walkers who might be hiding there
Did I think about anything? Did I look outside at the lights? I don’t think so.
After the run, Scott and I changed and met at the hot tub. The Otters swim team was having a practice. RJP’s and FWA’s old coach was still there, joking with the kids and calling out sets.
later: That night, I had a dream that I was swimming in a pool — the Y pool? Not sure — and a swim team coach — was it Whitney, FWA/RJP’s old coach? — said, Congratulations! You’ve made the team in the 100 free!