Flesh and Bone

This morning the Universe sent me a message, bright and early, when I went to get on my road bike and the back tire was completely flat: You don't need a new man to ride your mountain bike - get on it right now! And so I did, and although all my riding today was in town, and it is admittedly slower than my road bike, I was loving both the shocks and the freedom that big tires offer.

Anyway, the reason I was up early and out the door on my bike this morning was that one of my teammates from the half marathon I did in June ran another half today, the Madison Mini marathon, and was really hoping to PR. A couple of weeks ago, I did the whole practice course with him, but I didn't register for the race today because mine's coming up in a couple of weeks. I was also worried about how my leg would fare today, so I met him at mile 4 and kept him on pace for about 5 of his 13 miles before my knee got mad and I had to stop. I listened today -- I'm not gonna guarantee I will listen in a couple of weeks if it pulls the same shit during my next actual race.

Anyway, it was pretty fun popping in all fresh at mile 4 with the job of keeping someone else psyched and making sure his race went the way he was hoping it would rather than running myself ragged to beat the clock as (I tried to do) in my last half marathon experience. I know my "coaching" helped him some, but I also know at a certain point I had to back off -- he did not wish to relentlessly pursue the mile pacer (even the mile pacer he'd chosen) the way I had in my race.

I met some other people on the run too, including a super-sweaty guy who appreciated when I reminded my friend it may feel like a profoundly physical challenge but it's really mostly mental.

It's true, just ask The Killers:

Somewhere outside that finish line
I square up and break through the chains
And I hit like a raging bull
Anointed by the blood, I take the reins
Cut from the cloth, of a flag that
Bears the name of "Battle Born"
They'll call me the contender
They'll listen for the bell
With my face flashing crimson from the fires of hell

(What are you afraid of?)
And what are you made of?
(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time,
(Flesh and bone)
And what are you made of?
(Flesh and bone)
Man, I'm turning on a dime,
(Flesh and bone)

Super cool song, and quite inspiring:

He faces forward,
Trading in his blindness for the glow of love,
And time is raging, may it rage in vain,
And you always had it, but you never knew,
So boots and saddles, get on your feet,
There's no surrender, 'cause there's no retreat,
The bells are sobbing, in this monster land,
We are the descendants of giant men.

Sure hope my flesh and bone heal over the next couple of weeks so I can do those giant (wo)men proud...