Friday, October 22, 2010

When is 6 miles NOT 6 miles

YESTERDAY was day one of the incredibly stupid marathon training. 


I have to get my wits about me. It was a tempo run. 


I had to place a rescue call, after 4.5 miles.


sigh


Since I don't like to live in the past, let's move on.


TODAY, I ran 6 miles....easy....the difference between the tempo yesterday and the easy run today? 


TODAY I ran faster than yesterday's "tempo run".


Not that I have a problem with that. Y'see, I'm old and have been running a long time. Sometimes there are just plain bad days. Analyze all you want. Me? I prefer to focus on the positive.


I.ran.6.miles.today. 


It was cold. It was windy. It was overcast. Any minute snowflakes were supposed to start falling from the sky. 


Hence the reason, my "easy" run was faster than my tempo run yesterday. 


When I head out on my runs, I never really know what direction I'm going to go. If I run west/east, then I run downhill for as many miles as you can imagine, only to have to turn around and run uphill.all.the.way.home.


If I run North/South, I get the short steep what.the.hell.am.i.doing hills. 


(You'll be tested on this later).


Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I decide to run the 3 miles downhill, 3 miles uphill route. 


yes, it truly sucks to be me.


When I run, I like to wear my technical marathon shirts. 


Because I don't look good running.  When people drive by and see me in the midst of a sufferfest, they think to themselves "Oh, look at that dedicated marathoner. she's out running 20 miles. that's why she looks so bad."


Nevermind that I'm doing 3 or 4 or 5 miles.


Image is everything.


But I digress. I'm out running. Running downhill is truly a beautiful thing.


Running uphill.not.so.much.


A couple of things that I thought of while running uphill:


1.)  A 13:49 pace is absolutely acceptable when running the demon hill.


2.) When you have to pee and you're wearing cwx tights and they are so tight that you could never pull them up quickly should someone come around the corner and there are no trees....you have only one choice...(don't tell me you haven't done it).


3.) Did you know that your colon can get a charlie horse? It's true. I heard it on the Doctors.


4.) The top of the hill never gets closer. In fact, it moves away from you.


Speaking of hills.  It was hard. I'm clearly struggling (based on the number of cars that slowed down to make sure that I was in fact still moving)....


I really wanted to stop.


REALLY want to stop. 


You can stop....at the top of the next hill.


Really?


No.


Hey.


What?


I have an idea.


What?


YOU CAN STOP.....






WHEN YOU GET HOME


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


That was not funny.


Your just a poor sport. Running out here in the cold, windy, cloudy day wearing wet pants....hey, how'd your pants get wet?


Y'know what. Just shut up.






6 miles done.