10 Mile Sunday Suprises

 COVID-19 aka The RONA Era

    Sunday long run day. I wasn’t sure if I was going to run today because I had knee issues, well really hip issues. I had been icing, taking aleve, and stretching. I was feeling better. My BGR sole sista and fellow ambassador K wanted to know if I would run the minuteman trail with her on Sunday. K was training for her first Boston Marathon. Monday would have been the day she would have ran it. She wanted to run 24 miles on the trail as a test of her training and endurance. I agree to run part of the way with her, 5 miles of it because I was going to run 10 miles for my Sunday long run.

I arrived at Alewife T station at 6:20a.m to meet up with K. To my surprise and delight, there were two other BGR sole sistas there to be K’s fuel and support along the course route. I was so happy to see their faces. We did a social distancing hug with each other.

The minuteman trail goes through the towns of Arlington, Belmont, and Lexington. All predominately white and high income status areas.  One of the ladies’ mention, how we had to come correct because we were on the other side of tracks. We all agreed because we didn’t want to scare the white people. Wearing mask, being black, and running in a neighborhood and community that doesn’t look like you, one has to be, unfortunately mindful of these things.

I made sure to wear a hat, not a baseball hat so that my face wasn’t covered up. I didn’t bring a mask, but a running facial scarf that I can easily pull up or pull down.

After our photo shoot and more shenanigans, we started to run.  The sun was slowly starting to come out and there were not a lot of people on the trail.

On this trail I saw many bikers and people walking. Beside us, there were several Asian/Asian American folks running and walking.

At mile 5, I turned around to head back to Alewife. I’m in my running zone when someone ran up next to me on my left side and said “Hello you”. I looked and it was one of my dearest friend  L. She too was supposed to run the Boston Marathon on Monday. She wanted to get 26.2 miles in today. I was completely shocked and delighted to see her. This never happens, us running together. L told me that her son and his girlfriend were on their bikes as her fuel support while running.

She told a picture of us while running and kept on going.  That was just the best. As the sun started to come up and it was getting later, around 9 a.m. people were coming out of woodwork.

Later on L told me that she recognized  me because of my vest and shoes that I always wear while running. And her son, told her that he thought it was me, when he passed me on his bike. I had my earphones in and in my zone that I didn’t even hear him call my name.

Fun surprise, sunny day, running with friends, 10 miles done.