Some days, the body says no. Heavy limbs, foggy mind, lungs that feel half their size. The morning is slow—meds, coffee, waiting. Then, a whisper of strength. A chance.
By early afternoon, there’s an opening. No time for shoes. jump on the treadmill. A cautious first mile, testing the ground, lungs still tight. The second mile moves a little easier, breath deepens, legs find rhythm. Then, in the third, something shifts. The air feels lighter, space opens up in my chest, and suddenly I’m running faster than I started. Lungs still ache after, but it’s a huge improvement from yesterday
Negative splits weren’t the goal, but they happened. Strength, creeping in, showing up when I least expected it. Not all at once, not overnight. But today, just enough to move from no to go.