#a normal/only slightly slow pace for me for a road 18-mile easy pace training run

[rulesforthedance]

Ran 18 miles in Forest Park yesterday and it was by far the fastest I've ever done that distance on trail despite being deliberately Easy Pace (because I've gotten that much better at running recently! it's still blowing my mind) and including lots of walk breaks on the big climbs, but I fell fell dramatically around mile 16 because I wasn't picking my toes up high enough in a rooty downhill section. Landed in a full Superman on the trail, but at least managed to avoid bashing my chin on the ground this time. Was passing an old woman who was hiking and alarmed her. She was waving her hands near her face and going "oh! oh! oh!" as I took several long seconds of stumbling and yelling to actually complete my fall, lol. Today I keep finding new bruises.

[booksandseventeen]

Ushijima X Fem!Reader

Where the only way to talk to the captain is if you catch up to him.

Your watch beeps, letting you know that you have one mile left until the end of your course. Your route had started at your house and would end 1 mile away by your school. 

With track season starting soon, you knew you had to start doing your own training.

You could see the bench and tree that was your end point up ahead, just a little further, the rhythm of your shoes hitting the sidewalk was like a constant tempo in your head.

And then it happened.

You weren’t exactly sure what it was, but the air was suddenly thick, the trees around you moved like a wind had whipped through, and another tempo joined your own.

He ran past you like a hurricane. Strong, large, and intimidating. You barely registered him until he thundered past, his long legs taking him further and further away. The trees settled down and the air returned to normal. He was a force. 

You hadn’t realized you had stopped running until your watch beeped at you, reminding you that you should have been done with your workout by now.

Slowly, a smile spread across your face, this was a challenge you would gladly accept

___________________________________________________________________

Day 1: The Beginning 

He had a pretty easy schedule to memorize, he ran everyday and at exactly 7:23 am, his route took him by your school 1 mile later until he probably hooked a right that would take him to Shiratorizawa (you had caught a glimpse of his volleyball shorts). 

One week later, you had created a workout. If he could run a mile in 6 minutes, then your goal was 5 minutes and 30 seconds, and considering how you ran the mile in track, it was perfect.

And today was day 1 of your training. 

You stretched outside your house, putting one foot across the other and bending down, he would be here soon. You spread your legs and bent over, placing your fingertips on the ground and feeling the muscles stretch, you looked between your legs and yelped, scrambling out of the way before the boy could run you over.

“Damnit” you muttered under your breath and took off after him. It wasn’t until you practically sprinted to close the gap and you were now running behind him, closer than ever, that you realized how out of shape you were.

“Hi.” you say to him, but before you can hear his response you have already fallen too far behind.

“Damn!” you gasped, your hands above your head to get more air into your lungs. you collapsed on the bench.

You had a lot of work cut out for you.

Day 7: First Words

 You kept up with him more and more each day, pushing yourself a little further each time. You often wondered if he even knew you were there, waiting for him outside your house and running beside him until you couldn’t keep up any longer. He kept his eyes straight ahead the whole time, never once commenting on your huffing and puffing before slacking behind him.

But it was a challenge, one that you planned on conquering.

You saw him round the corner and you got ready, your right foot in front and your right hand leaning on it slightly. You felt the air change, the tree’s rustle, the thundering of his feet and right when you felt the hairs on your neck rise...you took off.

your feet matching perfectly with his, head held high, and arms pumping. There was only now. The tempo of both your feet, the tree’s bending towards the road like onlookers, you began to picture them as spectators. Your name chanting from their branches, the birds squawked their encouragement, and you pushed yourself faster. 

You were one step ahead of him.

“Come on.” 

You almost tripped.

You looked at him from the corner of your eyes and a cold sweat broke down your neck. He was staring right at you, the intensity of his eyes rivaled a carnivore. You nodded once and focused on your tempo but now your heart was beating much too fast than it should have. 

And just like all the other days your breath came out faster, your steps faltering only slightly but that was all he needed to create a gap between the two of you.

Later, when you were sitting on the bench you went through your run over and over again. He had only said two words to you. The only words he had ever said to you, but they had been one of encouragement. And you had kept up with him longer than you ever had. 

An improvement. 

Day 9: Name

His name was Ushijima. 

Your running partner- albeit against his will, actually had a name

It happened two days later after his first words to you, you had just began your run when his phone ring. And you watched in unmasked awe as he began to speak into his phone without missing a beat, his voice coming out normal while you wheezed beside him. 

You kept pace with him as long as you could, attempting to hear the conversation.

“Ushijima?! Are you running?” 

“yes.” 

“these last two weeks you’ve been barely making practice! is it that new route?”

“I’m never late”

“Yes I knowwwwww, but i thought you said you weren’t going to run that new route anymore but now-”

and by then you had stopping keeping up, once again you made it farther until you slowed down but damn did you wish you could have heard the end of that conversation. 

Were you the reason he had kept running this route? It was true that you had never seen him before until recently. You let a smile grace your lips, this just got a lot more interesting.

Day 10: The Accident 

You glanced at him and he glanced at you. 

This was the farthest you had ever ran with him and you both knew it. 

“A little farther.” he said and you nodded. By now you had grown accustomed to his little words of encouragements. They still made your heart flutter but you wouldn’t let that falter your tempo. 

You pushed yourself again, you were now two steps ahead of him, three, four. You knew you wouldn’t be able to keep this pace for long, a stitch in your side began to appear and you gritted your teeth and closed your eyes briefly, missing the slightly raised pavement that got caught on your foot.

The pavement hit you hard. You barely had time to yell out before you were sprawled across the ground, immediately, you felt your chin, knees, and palms throb. 

Strong hands were on your back, the back of your legs, running down your arms.

Oh...he’s making sure i’m alright. 

“That..was not fun. Would not recommend” You grimaced as he helped you to your feet.

“Your bleeding.” he said.

“I’ll be alright, you continue your run, I dont want you to be late to school.” You stepped away from him, aware that he kept his hand on your lower back, his other hand holding your hand. You looked up at him, the intensity of his gaze telling you he wouldn’t take no for an answer. 

“I’ll walk you to your school.” he said finally and pulled you against him as you limped your way the rest of the mile. 

You knew your cheeks were flushed and you concentrated on the closeness of his body instead of the throbbing of your knees.

“I’m really sorry about this.” you finally said.

“don’t be. it happens.”

“you’ve fallen before?”

“no.”

you laughed at his straightforwardness and felt him stiffen beside you. Too soon for your liking, you came to your school and the familiar bench. 

“This is fine, thank you, Ushijima.” if he was surprised that you knew his name he didn’t show it. 

“And your name?” he asked.

“L/N/F/N” you said and he nodded. 

“Get well, y/n, my morning wont be the same until then.”

Day 15: I’ll be there

You waited for him with bandaged knees.

You didn’t realize how much you missed his presence until you went a week without it. And now you jumped up and down, waiting for the familiar head and strong presence. 

A smile broke your face when you saw him.

Finally.

You blushed slightly when you saw that he had a small smile on his face as well and soon you were running next time him. 

“how are your knees?” he asked.

“much better thank you. How have you been?” you asked, realizing that you were able to hold a conversation with him compared to when you first started and wouldn’t have even been able to conjure up two words.

“Better, now. Why do you run with me?” he asks and glanced at you. You took a deep breath to steady your breathing, but couldn’t stop your heart from fluttering.

“I uh...have a meet on sunday. I’ll be running the mile.” You kept your eyes straight ahead, “I’ve kinda been running with you as a form of training.”

“You’ve gotten better.” he said. and you smile at the compliment. 

“I’ll be there.” he says.

“what?”

but you’ve fallen too far behind and can’t hear his response, a few minutes later you come to your bench and rest. 

your mind running through the possibilities of his answer.

Day 18: Meet

It’s funny, that the day you’ve been training for for weeks has finally come and yet you’re as calm as a lake. 

“You’ve gotten better.” 

His words echo in your head and when the starting gun shot resounds through the air, you picture your other opponents as Ushijima, and all you have to do is catch up. 

One lap down, you’re in 4th place and you realize that the stands are louder than you’ve ever heard.

On the second lap you move up to third place and you think, wouldn’t it be nice if Ushijima could watch you? And see how much you have truly improved.

Third lap, you’re in second place and that dreaded stitch is beginning in your side. The crowd is going crazy, and then you glance at the stands, and just about fall on your face.

Ushijima is standing with a group of boys all wearing the Shiratorizawa uniform. You don’t know any of them except Ushijima but they’re all cheering and yelling for you. Ushijima is standing in the middle of them and he opens his mouth and you hear him the loudest of all. 

“Win!” 

You couldn’t believe it. Ushijima was here, watching you. And you weren’t about to let him down. 

Though it’s too early to kick it into high gear, you can’t help it. The tempo speeds up, the cheers of a random school’s volleyball team ringing in your ears. Ushijima’s familiar back is the opponent in front of you. You’re running toe to toe with her. Her long strides familiar. 

Two steps ahead, three, four, five. You can’t stop, no matter how bad it hurts to breath and when you round on the last curve, the stands are cheering your name. But you only hear one voice. 

Day 18: Later

“Congratulations” 

you look behind you when you finished cooling off at the water fountains. Ushijima is standing there with his team. 

“You were amazing! So fast! And I can finally meet the girl worthy of keeping up with our captain!” a boy with red hair exclaims and a blush dusts your face.

“It’s all thanks to him that I was able to get this far.” you say and rub the back of your neck sheepishly. 

“You did amazing.” Ushijima compliments you again and the boy with red hair nudges the members around him and they slowly back away from the two of you. 

“I...I didn’t know you were gonna be here.”

“I told you i’d be there.”

“Guess I missed that part.” you chuckle and he steps closer. 

“I..I was wondering if it’d be okay if I came to your other meets.” 

You could melt right then and there. 

“But only if you come to our games as well.” he says. 

“your volleyball games?”

he nods. 

“I’d love to.” you say and when Ushijima reaches forward, you freeze. His fingers glide around your neck and lifts up the medal hanging from your neck.

“this looks good on you.” he says, his voice low. 

“T-Thank you. Maybe it’d look better on your bedroom floor.”

“what?”

“Nothing, want to go to that cafe not too far? your treat.” you smile up at him and he returns it with genuine affection. 

“i’d love to.”

End