Crack Shack to the Blue-Door House

When I started running again a few weeks ago I decided that I wouldn't track miles or my pace, not because I don't like tracking numbers. Believe me, at times I have been so obsessed with tracking my distance, pace and heart rate that it's taken the fun out of running. So instead, I've been marking distances by house, which is a strategic decision to on my part to boost my self-esteem. If I were to go to the gym today and hop on the treadmill I would most definitely be disappointed at how winded I am and discouraged by my slow pace.

So at least twice a week I run Spring Street, a fairly flat road heading out of town lined with unique houses: the Crack Shack ( the exterior colors of this ramshackle house range from the gray of exposed plywood, kelly green to the milky white of plastic sheeting, all accented by electric blue trim); the Blue door house, which is far too normal to be as interesting as the Crack Shack; the Coyote-Lane House and the Bird-House House (named for the multiple bird houses scattered across the lawn).

Tracking my distance by house is a game, of sorts. My first run I made it to the Blue-Door House by 10:00 minutes, turned around and ran home. Each run since then I've tried to beat that time and extend my overall run-time by five minutes. As I extend my run time, I've picked new houses along the road as time markers. On my second run I made it to the Blue-Door House by 9:45 and continued on to the Coyote Lane House by 12:40. My third run took me all the way to the Bird-House House by 15:09. My times have slowly been improving: today I made it to the Blue-Door House by 9:20, Coyote Lane by 12:07 and the Bird House by 14:09. I did a little happy dance inside as I ran passed by each house.

Tracking distance by houses keeps my actual pace and distance a secret, while still allowing me small victories and a challenge for the next run. I'll track houses for a while then one day I'll go to the gym, hop on the treadmill and... "Oh my gosh! I'm so fast!" At least that's how I see it in my mind.

Run: Spring Street

Time: 35:42

Distance: to the Guard Rail and back.