Ever since I took up swimming and biking, I have been seriously forgetting the need to run. I have been putting off running for so long now that the calluses on my feet are all gone. I have been putting off running for so long now that it somehow doesn’t feel natural for me anymore.

After a good month long break from running, I ran again last night but that same euphoric feeling that I experience every time I run wasn’t there anymore.

I planned to run my normal 11 kilometer route last night. It was quite ambitious given the fact that my last run was a measly 5 kilometers more than 2 weeks ago at Dean’s Cup but I still aimed to do it. It started off pretty good and it felt really really relaxing to be running again.

Feeling the breeze flowing through my ears was always a sensation I yearned for when I ran. I was happy I still got felt that. It was relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. It was a blast feeling the strong gust of winds along Esensa. It was a joy running along the side walk of Lawton Road. The occasional game of patintero between road deformities, pedestrians and jeeps were always a good way to break to monotony. The rush going down Mckinley always proves to be what I enjoy most from the route; fast, weaving and certainly the easiest stretch that I will run through.

Things started going down hill when I was on my way out of Mckinley. My lungs and body could handle the effort but my feet can’t. My long break from running was rearing it’s ugly head to haunt me. The long break has apparently thinned the calluses on my feet. I started to feel a burning sensation on my left foot and I could really feel the need to slow down. With every step I took, I could feel the blister getting bigger and squishier. I slowed down considerably. I had to stop at 9 kilometers because pain was beginning to be unbearable. I need to run more regularly to get those calluses back.

I finished off the run with one loop around BHS and I could never have been so relieved to stop. Has the love for running faded? Has the joy of pounding my feet on the ground proved to be too stressful for me? Have I unlearned running? I think I just need to run more often. Got to get back into the groove.