Recently I've been doing some running.. it's good for my bionic knee, and although it doesnt require complex mental processes, the repetitive and rhythmic action has a settling effect on my brain.. I'm one of those people whose thoughts are like a car without brakes careening downhill, and anything I can do to put off the eventual crash is definitely worth a try. Plus, it's nice to get out into the fresh air!
My strength as a runner was never blazing speed, but the way I could lock onto a pace a go pretty much indefinitely. But now I couldnt get more than a few blocks into my trip without running out of gas and stopping. What the hell is going on here? Could it have something to do with the fact that the first third of my course is almost straight uphill? (could  be that out of shape?)
What's the boy genius going to do about this situation.. run the course backward?
Naaaaah.. copout. Too easy! I always like a challenge, and I dont back down.. I was going to continue to run straight up the hill.
Today I decided on a different approach.. instead of going straight up, I turned left at the bottom of the hill and ran around a few blocks that took a much more gentle slope up the hill. By the time I got to the Big One, I should be warmed up and ready to rock.
Success! I tore it up through the cookie cutter neighborhoods of outer Phoenixville, and that 3/4 mile downhill jog at the end was pretty sweet. The Dave Wottle-like kick I had in high school is gone, but I felt well enough to take an extra lap around the block (which sucked).
I suppose I wasnt being honest with myself, and took on more than I should have all at once. To paraphrase someone much wiser than myself, I need to focus on one crisis at a time and concentrate on survival. This will keep me in the race and allow me to improve one step at a time, as opposed to my previous approach of taking on everything at once and failing miserably.
I still like to stick my head in the lion's mouth, but I need to pick on lions my own size.
For now