Slow down? Glad you asked!

Thanks for slowing down!

I saw this sign when I was out for a run yesterday – on a very hot day. Well, it’s about time, I thought, as I obediently slowed my sneakers to an even more plodding pace than they already marked on the sizzling pavement. I collected my breath and took a swig from my water bottle.

Wait. Maybe that’s not what they meant.

You know how, once you notice something (like a printed yard sign), you start to see it all over the place? Well, that’s pretty much what happened to me. I guess I hadn’t noticed these red placards all over town till then. Sure, school just started up again, and folks want drivers to become more cautious and careful. I get it.

Still, I sort of like the signs for a whole different reason.

As an MSer, training for an upcoming half marathon, I wonder if I might be able to tack one of these signs on my back for the race. Maybe the message will give fellow runners pause, before they blast past me and leave me choking on their dust.

I’m a turtle in sneakers, but I’m out there, trying to slay the dragon we call the MS MonSter. I’m slow, but I go.

After several days of crazy hot weather, which made my training runs extra hard (Uhthoff’s, anyone?), I need to pick up the pace a bit, if I can, to prepare for the big day. With MS, it’s all about energy rationing  and balance (even though balance is a particular problem).

That’s 13.1 miles, baby.

I’m not aiming to break any speed records, win any prizes, or cross the finish line before a certain percentage of other runners. I just want to finish the course before the service trucks come along to sweep late runners off the route and reopen the city roads. That means I have to keep moving, even if it’s painfully slow. And even if it’s painful.

Thanks for slowing down? No problem!

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