This morning marked my 14th virtual race since the onslaught of the coronavirus. For a person who normally runs about a dozen races a year, I have been hitting it hard. Up until now, I have run these races at race pace. I have gone out and run at full effort, the same as if I had a bib on my chest and a finish line to cross. I am beginning to feel the toll in my legs and am planning to virtually run the Sugar Badger 50K next Monday, so I took a different approach to this run.
The theme for this week is joy. I went out to run a 15K for the pure joy of it. I didn’t 
worry about the pace on my watch. I listened to a random collection of my favorite songs and when the beat was fast I kicked it up, when the songs slowed, I slowed. When Gary Clark Jr wailed on his guitar on “Got to Get Up” my feet hit the ground in time with the tempo. I enjoyed the rare treat of a sunny Ohio day and laughed off the dripping sweat from the high humidity.
I have always been attracted to people who have a deep joy. Two of my heroes are the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. When they are together they are childish in their laughter. This is not a naive joy, but one that comes from having gone through tough hardships. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile from his own country and Desmond Tutu lived through apartheid. And yet, watch this video and count how many times they laugh. Their joy is infectious and life giving.
outbreak of the coronavirus. Less than a week ago I ran my second fastest marathon ever. Today, I went out seeking to run a 10K in under an hour. That is no record setting pace, but considering the heavy toll I have put on my body it was an aggressive goal. It has also been raining enough in Ohio to make ark building seem reasonable. Today, I ran on the Mudsock Trail that lived up to its name. My new shoes and clean socks were soaked by the time I finished in a time of 59:02, almost a minute faster than my goal.
Today I completed the un-cancelled series. This series began as a four-week program as races were cancelled due to the coronavirus. Then the series extended to six weeks with seven free virtual races: 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K, half-marathon, marathon, and an ultra. Today I ran my first ultra of the year and completed this series.
It was a beautiful day for a run. I started at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park and followed the winding trail through the woods. Then, I ran from Battelle Darby, through Lake Darby, to Prairie Oaks Metro Park. The hills of Battelle Darby were replaced with the mud at Prairie Oaks. Nonetheless, I consistently stayed on pace and the first 20+ miles were uneventful.
by over 12 minutes. Three weeks after running one of my best marathons ever I ran one of my best ultras.
Today was my sixth of seven runs in the Un-cancelled series, a 15K. Like the 8K, I had never run a 15K before. No matter what time I ran it in, it would be a PR. As I was headed out the door I had to look on google to even know the exact mileage equivalent of 15K.
I went out aiming to run at an 9:39 pace and stayed near that for the whole run. This put me in a different place than races in previous weeks. In my last few runs, I stepped up my goal as I ran, which meant I had to make up time and chase down a deficit. Today I better managed my pace, stayed more consistent for the entire run, and hit my goal with 21 seconds to spare.
The theme for this week is courage. It takes courage to face pain and lift your head and pull your shoulders back and push on. However, it is by far not the most courageous thing in the world. Often, I have used races to do fundraising. Whenever I do that, I carry the names of people with me who donate and I am always reminded that they have shown more courage than I. The people who have donated to me are people who have overcome cancer, single parents who have raised children, spouses who have lost loved ones. I may have the courage to turn my legs over when they are tired, but that doesn’t compare to the courage of people who have lived in poverty, abuse, and loss.
I have never done anything halfway and running is no exception.
![IMG_9855[1]](https://perseverancerunner.files.wordpress.com/2020/04/img_98551.jpg?w=362&h=482 "IMG_9855[1]")
This morning’s run was a beautiful journey, a welcome break from so many reports of infections and death. The sun shone in a blue sky in a way that we seldom experience in Ohio. I ran a familiar path around Hilliard and up and down the banks of the Scioto River. Water rushed over the Griggs Dam and spring blossomed all around as a reminder that life wins.
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