Great (small) crowd Laid back, non-competitive (small) group of runners Nice first lap in the pack with idle conversation DIY lap-tracker with sharpie on a string Beautiful (flat) course - Paved, wildflower-lined, creek-side Cool misty mountain air Great first half Pulled right quad Sneaky occasional hubby appearances Consistently motivational playlist Last lap downpour Soaked to the skin Cool, not cold Really heavy saturated shoes Walking more than expected Running at the finish Last sharpie tally mark 5:04:05
It's getting close. Real close. 8 days away. I'm excited, not really nervous..... about the marathon, that is. What I am getting increasingly anxious about is the half-marathon I have in 2 days. A few weeks ago, when some fellow runners tried to scare me by telling me that this race is the hardest half in the area, I shrugged it off. Not being all that competitive, I just said, "Well, then I won't focus on setting a new PR." No big deal. Anxiety did not creep in until I started reading the race details online yesterday and noticed this heart-stopping message:
WHAT?!?
OK, OK, some of the races I have run so far have had similar messages, but I (like everyone else) ignored them and they were not enforced. This one is just worded with such strong, angry language, in red, and with a vivid graphic, no less!! (Insert a big long whine here.)
To be completely honest, I view my ipod as an appendage, delivering motivation via an umbilical cord with earbuds on the end. I need it. I have never run outdoors without it.
Until today. I bit the bullet and ran my prescribed 3 miles sans earbuds and it did not kill me. But, it wasn't what I would characterize as fun, either. I need fun. I need external motivation. And, while chirping birds and buzzing bees might get me outdoors, they do not make me want to run - or keep running for miles and miles and miles.
So, as I do with any moral dilemma, I turned to the blogosphere for answers. And, as usual, I found way too many conflicting opinions to actually be helpful, but I am more informed. I learned, for instance, that REAL runners NEVER run with music, but that many other so-called "runners" also admit to regularly breaking no-headphones bans in races.
What to do, what to do? I think I have come to a decision, but I don't want to jinx myself, so I will not share it until the race is done. I can disclose that I will be wearing my new magic compression socks (and yes they are magic), and my new Nathan running belt with my own supply of water and Shot Bloks. Along with my ball cap and sunglasses, I'm thinking the look will be aging softball player meets crazed tourist. Whether or not that crazed softball-playing tourist is enjoying some renegade tunes, yet to be seen.
By the way - the full marathon, that is 8 days away, has no policy on headphone use. And I fully plan to rock out the entire 26.2, thank you very much.
Wow, has it really been over a month since my last post? April went by super fast, but I guess quite a bit has transpired in the gap. As far as running goes, I have continued with my training and I ran another 10K (new PR - 58:53!!). My only setback was last week, when I attempted my 20 mile run (to be the longest pre-marathon) without my IT band (stupid) and threw in the towel at mile 11 to keep the ensuing pain from becoming an injury.
So, the goal is to run my 20 tomorrow and then start tapering. I have to say I have been looking forward to the big taper since I started this whole program. So now that it is within reach, I am pretty darned excited.
On a somewhat unrelated note is the excitement that comes with getting new magazines in the mail. I know it's a bit frivolous and maybe more 'low-brow' than curling up with a book or a kindle, but I love to snuggle up to good magazine. And Runner's World fulfills that craving. On top of just being another glossy to casually peruse, I have so far actually found something useful in each issue.
For instance, in this months issue, which I enjoyed with my coffee this morning, I found that I am already doing most of the things they recommend in the "Run Faster (Without All the Work)" article. (They had me at their strategic use of parentheses in the title.) Most things, that is, except wearing knee-high compression socks. OK, easy enough. I decided I would surf the web a bit to find out some good brands and hit up a local sports store this afternoon - just in time to try them out for my 20. After all, acquiring new gear is one of the fun things about running, or any hobby/sport I would imagine.
Nope. Total fail. Nowhere in the area seems to carry compression socks, and one store even tried to make me think I had made them up! They tried to tell me I had to go to a medical supply store for "diabetic stockings". And when I mentioned reading about them in the latest issue of Runner's World, they pulled out last month's issue to try to prove me wrong!! I was so incensed that I didn't even purchase any Shot Bloks from them. Mean old behind-the-times-so-called- running-specialists!!
I know I have seen several people wearing them in my recent races, and there can't be that many runners who are diabetic! or at least that many that need "compression stockings"!Jeez.
So, no cool socks for tomorrow, but I am going to order some right now online. Even if they don't work, or I never even wear them, it will be worth it just to prove those sports' store $%#@ers were wrong. Maybe I'll put them on and run very slowly past their storefront. $%#@ers.
