I am ashamed of myself. I was a wimp today. I was one of those soft people. I did not run.
It wasn't that cold outside but it was really windy and it was also snowing. I was going to run from school but then I decided there was way too much snow on the sidewalks to do so. I could've gone home and ran on the streets but I didn't. I told myself that this would just be my day off because it was miserable outside. But instead I was really just being lazy.
Whenever I decide not to run because the weather sucks or because of any reason, I feel like I should feel good. But I don't, I just get in an extremely bad mood because I'm mad at myself. Which is what I am right now. I'm mad at myself because I didn't have enough motivation to do what I could have. It's true I didn't have a good day and running outside would only have accomplished mental benefits, not physical benefits with about 12 minute miles, and I've been increasing my mileage for weeks while having a day a week off. But that doesn't mean I can be a wimp. Which is why I am posting this on my blog. Not because I need anyone else to read it, but so I can read it and remember what I am supposed to be doing.
Showing posts with label cold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cold. Show all posts
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
WHEN IT'S COLD OUTSIDE, I RUN
There was an article in last Monday's paper about cold weather running. I thought I would take a look at it even though they might not bring up any new tips I haven't heard. So I'm reading along but it was kind of short and they basically interviewed a lady who said winter running doesn't suck. And then I look at the picture of her and read the caption. She was from Dallas, Texas. I guess I wasn't aware that Texas had a real winter.
It's nothing against the great Lone Star state. I have family there and we've visited. I thought Texas was awesome, but a little warm. But seriously, if you are going to write an article about winter running, Texas is not exactly what you are looking for. I guess the article was written for a Dallas newspaper so maybe it's more the newspaper here that is at fault. But to even write an article like this.
Here in Iowa, we have winter. We had three snow days in December because of a blizzard. That was fun. Over Christmas break, we had that little snowstorm that kept everyone from going anywhere. We didn't get snow days out of that. And for awhile we've been having temperatures that are sometimes in the teens. Last week, we found out that it was supposed to get into the thirties. I know all those people in the south are complaining about their cold weather where it might get below freezing during the night. They should come here, where people are actually excited about temperatures in the thirties. I stepped outside one morning when it was in the high 20's and I told my mom that it felt warm out. Here in Iowa, where we have winter, people enjoy temperatures above freezing. We celebrate them.
In this article, the lady says she loves early morning runs. In places that actually have winter, there are windchills of -30 degrees, so you don't exactly seen many people out. She does say that at first you really don't want to be out there, which is true a lot of the times. But then she gets that crisp morning air which is so much clearer in the winter. When I feel that cold winter wind I hope that it doesn't give me frostbite on my face later on. But on to her tips.
Her first tip is to keep your hands warm with gloves, but mittens on the cold days. I don't wear gloves above 30 degrees. One day I wore double gloves but that was because it was one degree and I was only doing about 3 miles so my hands wouldn't be able to warm up. The day I ran 7.85 miles in 7 degrees, I wore one pair of gloves. My hands did get a little cold but I couldn't really feel my face so I didn't pay attention to that. And these are just cheap knit gloves, no fancy brand name stuff. I like them just fine.
She advises you to have layers to shed. I wear enough clothes so that the first mile is really cold but after that I'm pretty cold. It makes you run faster anyways. She talks about the different shirts you should wear, I have one underarmour like shirt that's incredibly warm and I usually wear that with a tshirt, sometimes a fleece jacket if it's cold. And when I say cold, I mean under 10 degrees at least. Then she talks about tights and she mentions some tights with fleece lining which is pretty cool. Not sure why you would need them in Dallas. I wear double tights a lot, a thick pair over a light pair, and I tuck the thick ones into my shoes so my ankles don't get cold. I've been able to wear one pair of tights though for about the last week which I have very much enjoyed.
Her third tip is to stretch. I don't stretch in the winter. This may not be the best for my legs but stretching becomes procrastinating very easily. Just tell yourself you'll stretch for awhile and then delay your run, and then you have to do a shorter run because it will get dark. Stretching decreases your motivation when it's cold. You just have to make yourself go outside and run.
Most running articles make me mad because they are written for joggers. This one made me mad because the coldest it has been in Dallas is 28 degrees. Here in Iowa, it was 5 degrees. The next day it was one. But 28 degrees is one pair of tights weather. Weather that makes you want to run because you have to enjoy it.
My winter running tips with therefore be as follows:
1. Don't procrastinate. There are many excuses in winter. Don't listen to them.
2. Don't care too much about the times. Last year I could run 9-11 minute miles during the winter. That track season I could easily run 8 minute pace at longer distances. Pay more attention to the miles.
3. Run in the streets. Sidewalks get icy and people don't shovel them. I'm more of a street runner even during the summer but running in tire tracks gets you a lot more traction.
4. Make yourself go out there and run. Force yourself. It doesn't matter if it feels like a chore. It will be worth it.
5. Remember one of my favorite running quotes "There is no bad weather, only soft people."
Some people have to run during actual winter when it's actually cold. Those people are so much stronger than those who think they have winter.
It's nothing against the great Lone Star state. I have family there and we've visited. I thought Texas was awesome, but a little warm. But seriously, if you are going to write an article about winter running, Texas is not exactly what you are looking for. I guess the article was written for a Dallas newspaper so maybe it's more the newspaper here that is at fault. But to even write an article like this.
Here in Iowa, we have winter. We had three snow days in December because of a blizzard. That was fun. Over Christmas break, we had that little snowstorm that kept everyone from going anywhere. We didn't get snow days out of that. And for awhile we've been having temperatures that are sometimes in the teens. Last week, we found out that it was supposed to get into the thirties. I know all those people in the south are complaining about their cold weather where it might get below freezing during the night. They should come here, where people are actually excited about temperatures in the thirties. I stepped outside one morning when it was in the high 20's and I told my mom that it felt warm out. Here in Iowa, where we have winter, people enjoy temperatures above freezing. We celebrate them.
In this article, the lady says she loves early morning runs. In places that actually have winter, there are windchills of -30 degrees, so you don't exactly seen many people out. She does say that at first you really don't want to be out there, which is true a lot of the times. But then she gets that crisp morning air which is so much clearer in the winter. When I feel that cold winter wind I hope that it doesn't give me frostbite on my face later on. But on to her tips.
Her first tip is to keep your hands warm with gloves, but mittens on the cold days. I don't wear gloves above 30 degrees. One day I wore double gloves but that was because it was one degree and I was only doing about 3 miles so my hands wouldn't be able to warm up. The day I ran 7.85 miles in 7 degrees, I wore one pair of gloves. My hands did get a little cold but I couldn't really feel my face so I didn't pay attention to that. And these are just cheap knit gloves, no fancy brand name stuff. I like them just fine.
She advises you to have layers to shed. I wear enough clothes so that the first mile is really cold but after that I'm pretty cold. It makes you run faster anyways. She talks about the different shirts you should wear, I have one underarmour like shirt that's incredibly warm and I usually wear that with a tshirt, sometimes a fleece jacket if it's cold. And when I say cold, I mean under 10 degrees at least. Then she talks about tights and she mentions some tights with fleece lining which is pretty cool. Not sure why you would need them in Dallas. I wear double tights a lot, a thick pair over a light pair, and I tuck the thick ones into my shoes so my ankles don't get cold. I've been able to wear one pair of tights though for about the last week which I have very much enjoyed.
Her third tip is to stretch. I don't stretch in the winter. This may not be the best for my legs but stretching becomes procrastinating very easily. Just tell yourself you'll stretch for awhile and then delay your run, and then you have to do a shorter run because it will get dark. Stretching decreases your motivation when it's cold. You just have to make yourself go outside and run.
Most running articles make me mad because they are written for joggers. This one made me mad because the coldest it has been in Dallas is 28 degrees. Here in Iowa, it was 5 degrees. The next day it was one. But 28 degrees is one pair of tights weather. Weather that makes you want to run because you have to enjoy it.
My winter running tips with therefore be as follows:
1. Don't procrastinate. There are many excuses in winter. Don't listen to them.
2. Don't care too much about the times. Last year I could run 9-11 minute miles during the winter. That track season I could easily run 8 minute pace at longer distances. Pay more attention to the miles.
3. Run in the streets. Sidewalks get icy and people don't shovel them. I'm more of a street runner even during the summer but running in tire tracks gets you a lot more traction.
4. Make yourself go out there and run. Force yourself. It doesn't matter if it feels like a chore. It will be worth it.
5. Remember one of my favorite running quotes "There is no bad weather, only soft people."
Some people have to run during actual winter when it's actually cold. Those people are so much stronger than those who think they have winter.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
MY FAN, THE BUS DRIVER
I run the same route almost everyday. It should become boring but it usually doesn't. I could change it up and add in a couple of different streets, but I often lose my motivation and it makes running seem like a chore when I do so. Because I often run the same places over and over, I start to recognize people. There's the guy who only seems to be outside when he's clearing his driveway because of the snow. He likes to shout at me that I'm crazy. There's a guy who asked me how many miles I do a day and one time a mailman waved at me instead of running me over. It wasn't the creepy mailman either who likes to sit outside houses for 10 minutes doing what looks like nothing.
It seems like when you are running by yourself, it compels people to wave, or honk, or yell at you. A couple of days ago, a seemingly random person waved at me while driving by, although he later turned out to be one of my friends back from college. I've had a kid around my age stand in the street and stare at me (probably because of my knee socks) while getting dropped off. Those same people who dropped him off later drove by me and yelled something. I've had a car full of teenagers yell something at me towards the end of my run, but again, I couldn't understand them. And then there was the furniture store truck that drove by me and honked, completely freaking me out. I actually enjoy when people somehow let me know that they've seen me (most of the time) because it feels like they are cheering me on. But out of all the random people who do this, or all my neighbors who like to talk about seeing me, there is one guy who stands out above them all. And that is my friend, the bus driver.
My basic route is 5.65 miles, although it can be increased by running some parts again. Most of this route is also the bus driver's route. Depending on what time I start at, how fast I run, and how many miles I am doing, I see him at different parts during the week. It's somewhere between 4:15 and 4:35 when I see him because he drives one of the Catholic school buses. Most of the time there's no kids on the bus, and he's just driving it back to drop it off. Whenever I see him though, no matter where along my route I am, he acknowledges me in some way. It started out with just waving, but lately he's been honking at me too. He's always smiling at me and it always feels like he's cheering me on. On the hardest days and in the worst weather, when he honks he seems to say that even if you feel like nobody is watching, that no one cares, and everyone thinks you're crazy, I support you. And so I want to thank my fan, the bus driver, for making me feel like someone who doesn't even know me thinks I can run fast and complete all my miles, even if I don't always feel I can.
It seems like when you are running by yourself, it compels people to wave, or honk, or yell at you. A couple of days ago, a seemingly random person waved at me while driving by, although he later turned out to be one of my friends back from college. I've had a kid around my age stand in the street and stare at me (probably because of my knee socks) while getting dropped off. Those same people who dropped him off later drove by me and yelled something. I've had a car full of teenagers yell something at me towards the end of my run, but again, I couldn't understand them. And then there was the furniture store truck that drove by me and honked, completely freaking me out. I actually enjoy when people somehow let me know that they've seen me (most of the time) because it feels like they are cheering me on. But out of all the random people who do this, or all my neighbors who like to talk about seeing me, there is one guy who stands out above them all. And that is my friend, the bus driver.
My basic route is 5.65 miles, although it can be increased by running some parts again. Most of this route is also the bus driver's route. Depending on what time I start at, how fast I run, and how many miles I am doing, I see him at different parts during the week. It's somewhere between 4:15 and 4:35 when I see him because he drives one of the Catholic school buses. Most of the time there's no kids on the bus, and he's just driving it back to drop it off. Whenever I see him though, no matter where along my route I am, he acknowledges me in some way. It started out with just waving, but lately he's been honking at me too. He's always smiling at me and it always feels like he's cheering me on. On the hardest days and in the worst weather, when he honks he seems to say that even if you feel like nobody is watching, that no one cares, and everyone thinks you're crazy, I support you. And so I want to thank my fan, the bus driver, for making me feel like someone who doesn't even know me thinks I can run fast and complete all my miles, even if I don't always feel I can.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
THAT'S NOT REALLY ME
In the midst of filling out college applications and scholarships (and not having ran all last week because there was an incredible pain in my foot, and not having run for the last three days because of a combination of a blizzard and wind chill temperatures, which did get me three snow days), I have realized something important. The ability to make up information to make yourself look good is underrated.
Technically, I guess it's not making up stuff, it's just writing the story in a way that makes you look better than you should. I'm not really that kind of person though, kind of like how I don't like making excuses. Because the colleges don't really want to know you, they want to know how good you think you are. And besides that, the one thing they truly care about is leadership. Which I am getting tired of real fast.
I'm sure leadership is a great quality to have, but it's not the top quality and plus someone is going to be needed to follow all these leaders. And maybe the real reason that I now detest leadership, is that I'm not really a leader. I don't do clubs or councils, they are too much like team sports, and I'd rather be doing something else. I don't organize community service activities, although I do volunteer. I'm involved in two sports that do not truly have team captains, although I can claim being a cross country captain because I participated in captain's games at our pep assembly. Licking peanut butter off of fiberglass while wearing a pirate mask should count for something afterall. I'm the oldest child in my family, which can also give me a little bit of leadership. But I don't have official leadership titles or duties. As my coach once told me, I lead by example and not by talking.
I'm sure this probably makes me sound like a loser who doesn't deserve a scholarship, but I'm really a good student. I have a 4.2something GPA, have a great ACT score, and have numerous academic awards. I am ranked 12th in my class of like 400 kids. But the answers to these scholarship applications evades me. Even when I try to write about something I actually enjoy, like running, I just don't know what to say. These people aren't going to understand it. And it won't stand out from all the others. Even if I use running as my example in my "challenging situation", it's not going to be interesting to someone not a runner. They won't really get it.
Although the leadership questions bother me, I could see the merit of asking them (except I don't think it is worth the multiple essays I have had to write on the subject). A question that really bothers me, is when they ask "do you want us to know anything else about you" or "what should we know about you". Do they really want to know anything about me? Do they really care? Because this is what I would tell them:
I love running. I dislike it very much sometimes, but it plays a huge role in who I am. The aspect of hard work, quiet determination, and perseverence are all parts of running, and therefore they are a part of me. I also enjoy the sport of professional cycling. Those aspects I have previously described can also be found in this sport. And plus, there is just something that draws me to the sport. Which is why I follow it even though I have few people to discuss it with.
I am often described as a quiet person, which I do not enjoy, because really, I'd talk more if everyone would just shut up. I also tend to take a cynical view sometimes, when not talking about what I really love. I'm not looking forward to college because I am going to have to leave a lot of what I consider me behind. I won't have any practices to go to, or teammates to cheer on. I won't get to see my friends everyday, I'll have to live somewhere else, I'll be forced to make my own decisions, I'm not going to know the teachers, and I don't even get a locker. I kind of like what I have now and am not exactly thrilled about having to change.
I am going to major in engineering because of the process of elimination of all the careers I do not like. My favorite school subject is history but there is no real career in that besides teaching. I really only like male teachers, because they treat you like adults and not little kids, and plus most kids hate history so it would not be enjoyable teaching them. One of my friends (whom I have many sarcastic, cynical conversations with) once asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. He told me he wanted to be a migrant farm worker. I told him I wanted to be a podium girl in the Tour de France. Which is really what I'd rather do,
And now I would like to thank the scholarship commmitte for reading my essay about me. I am not the prime example of the potential of greatness of our youth. That's because I am a real person who has unique hobbies and decision making issues. And that is what you should know about me. Besides the fact that I was tired of filling out scholarships midway through my first one.
Technically, I guess it's not making up stuff, it's just writing the story in a way that makes you look better than you should. I'm not really that kind of person though, kind of like how I don't like making excuses. Because the colleges don't really want to know you, they want to know how good you think you are. And besides that, the one thing they truly care about is leadership. Which I am getting tired of real fast.
I'm sure leadership is a great quality to have, but it's not the top quality and plus someone is going to be needed to follow all these leaders. And maybe the real reason that I now detest leadership, is that I'm not really a leader. I don't do clubs or councils, they are too much like team sports, and I'd rather be doing something else. I don't organize community service activities, although I do volunteer. I'm involved in two sports that do not truly have team captains, although I can claim being a cross country captain because I participated in captain's games at our pep assembly. Licking peanut butter off of fiberglass while wearing a pirate mask should count for something afterall. I'm the oldest child in my family, which can also give me a little bit of leadership. But I don't have official leadership titles or duties. As my coach once told me, I lead by example and not by talking.
I'm sure this probably makes me sound like a loser who doesn't deserve a scholarship, but I'm really a good student. I have a 4.2something GPA, have a great ACT score, and have numerous academic awards. I am ranked 12th in my class of like 400 kids. But the answers to these scholarship applications evades me. Even when I try to write about something I actually enjoy, like running, I just don't know what to say. These people aren't going to understand it. And it won't stand out from all the others. Even if I use running as my example in my "challenging situation", it's not going to be interesting to someone not a runner. They won't really get it.
Although the leadership questions bother me, I could see the merit of asking them (except I don't think it is worth the multiple essays I have had to write on the subject). A question that really bothers me, is when they ask "do you want us to know anything else about you" or "what should we know about you". Do they really want to know anything about me? Do they really care? Because this is what I would tell them:
I love running. I dislike it very much sometimes, but it plays a huge role in who I am. The aspect of hard work, quiet determination, and perseverence are all parts of running, and therefore they are a part of me. I also enjoy the sport of professional cycling. Those aspects I have previously described can also be found in this sport. And plus, there is just something that draws me to the sport. Which is why I follow it even though I have few people to discuss it with.
I am often described as a quiet person, which I do not enjoy, because really, I'd talk more if everyone would just shut up. I also tend to take a cynical view sometimes, when not talking about what I really love. I'm not looking forward to college because I am going to have to leave a lot of what I consider me behind. I won't have any practices to go to, or teammates to cheer on. I won't get to see my friends everyday, I'll have to live somewhere else, I'll be forced to make my own decisions, I'm not going to know the teachers, and I don't even get a locker. I kind of like what I have now and am not exactly thrilled about having to change.
I am going to major in engineering because of the process of elimination of all the careers I do not like. My favorite school subject is history but there is no real career in that besides teaching. I really only like male teachers, because they treat you like adults and not little kids, and plus most kids hate history so it would not be enjoyable teaching them. One of my friends (whom I have many sarcastic, cynical conversations with) once asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. He told me he wanted to be a migrant farm worker. I told him I wanted to be a podium girl in the Tour de France. Which is really what I'd rather do,
And now I would like to thank the scholarship commmitte for reading my essay about me. I am not the prime example of the potential of greatness of our youth. That's because I am a real person who has unique hobbies and decision making issues. And that is what you should know about me. Besides the fact that I was tired of filling out scholarships midway through my first one.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
MY QUESTION
On Thursday I ran in shorts. In January. It was a balmy 38 degrees out and as an Iowan, I know that you shouldn't pass up chances like this. I mean, it was over over 60 degrees warmer than last Thursday. Plus there's almost nothing better than shorts in January. To take advantage of this opportunity, I ran 7.3 miles, over a mile more than I was going to do. I wasn't going very fast but I enjoyed it a lot although my shoes were soaked throughout the run. But the sun was out and birds were singing on this unusually warm day which I very much liked.
Yesterday it was 6 degrees during my 3.24 mile run. I was bundled up in my cold weather gear but I was still cold. I certainly had the right to be; a 32 degree drop in two days. My throat was sore and I have developed a cough so the cold air just made me more miserable. I was glad I had done my long mileage earlier in the week so I did not have to run far. I did the same route today but it was warmer at 14 degrees. It was still chilly though. Although they were tough, I put my miles in for a grand total of 30.3 miles this week. Half those runs were long runs so I think I did a pretty good job. As long as the weather gets better, I might be able to keep this up.
As I went through my chilly run, I asked myself why I was doing this. Why was I running when most sane people would be inside? What was the point of pushing myself till I wanted to walk or till I couldn't feel my cheeks because of the wind? Why was I making myself run when I didn't feel good? Why did I run?
It wasn't a fabulous runner's high day so there was no easy answer to my question. Before I left for my run however, I looked at a picture hanging on my bulletin board. It's a photo from a newspaper from the 2004 Tour de France Team Time Trial that U.S. Postal Service won. It's not this famous photo, more like this one with the team in the rain, although not that exact picture. It has the title "Armstrong Territory" at the top and it helped answer my question today.
Lance rode for his team as evident in the winning team time trial. I run for my team, to help in the relays and to make others better. He rides to do his best, I was running so I could do my best in races. Lance was riding in pouring rain but that didn't stop him or his team. Cold weather was not going to stop me. He rode for his his coach, his family, and others who supported him. I was running to make those who support me proud. He was riding for himself, to make himself stronger and faster. My training run was only making me stronger and faster, to do better in other runs. Most of all, Lance was riding and has comeback to riding because he loves it. And that is were I found the true answer to my question.
Why was I out there running? Because I love it. I love running. This answer has kept me going on multiple runs, it has made me do more than I though I could. It's the reason I ran on the famous blue track at Drake were multiple Olympians have ran before me. It is also the reason I made varsity in xc. I hope this answer can make me keep running. Sure, it's cold and my throat hurt, but maybe I can overlook that.
Days like this when I run, sometimes I have to look for the answer. It might take me longer some days more than others. Sometimes I don't even have to ask. Other day's I will look and look and look. But I always find the answer.
Yesterday it was 6 degrees during my 3.24 mile run. I was bundled up in my cold weather gear but I was still cold. I certainly had the right to be; a 32 degree drop in two days. My throat was sore and I have developed a cough so the cold air just made me more miserable. I was glad I had done my long mileage earlier in the week so I did not have to run far. I did the same route today but it was warmer at 14 degrees. It was still chilly though. Although they were tough, I put my miles in for a grand total of 30.3 miles this week. Half those runs were long runs so I think I did a pretty good job. As long as the weather gets better, I might be able to keep this up.
As I went through my chilly run, I asked myself why I was doing this. Why was I running when most sane people would be inside? What was the point of pushing myself till I wanted to walk or till I couldn't feel my cheeks because of the wind? Why was I making myself run when I didn't feel good? Why did I run?
It wasn't a fabulous runner's high day so there was no easy answer to my question. Before I left for my run however, I looked at a picture hanging on my bulletin board. It's a photo from a newspaper from the 2004 Tour de France Team Time Trial that U.S. Postal Service won. It's not this famous photo, more like this one with the team in the rain, although not that exact picture. It has the title "Armstrong Territory" at the top and it helped answer my question today.
Lance rode for his team as evident in the winning team time trial. I run for my team, to help in the relays and to make others better. He rides to do his best, I was running so I could do my best in races. Lance was riding in pouring rain but that didn't stop him or his team. Cold weather was not going to stop me. He rode for his his coach, his family, and others who supported him. I was running to make those who support me proud. He was riding for himself, to make himself stronger and faster. My training run was only making me stronger and faster, to do better in other runs. Most of all, Lance was riding and has comeback to riding because he loves it. And that is were I found the true answer to my question.
Why was I out there running? Because I love it. I love running. This answer has kept me going on multiple runs, it has made me do more than I though I could. It's the reason I ran on the famous blue track at Drake were multiple Olympians have ran before me. It is also the reason I made varsity in xc. I hope this answer can make me keep running. Sure, it's cold and my throat hurt, but maybe I can overlook that.
Days like this when I run, sometimes I have to look for the answer. It might take me longer some days more than others. Sometimes I don't even have to ask. Other day's I will look and look and look. But I always find the answer.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
MY WEEK IN REVIEW
I have had a very upside down week. Snow and intense cold have turned my week into a 5 day vacation from school. It's been tough though having no homework and only free time to deal with. It was pretty bad weather though, even for Iowa, with about 20 inches of snow and negative temperatures all the way down to -29 (that's without the windchill). At least there was no ice though, so my neighbor's car didn't end up in our front yard again.
The extreme cold did keep me from running, but that dealt more with safety issues. Running in wind chill warnings is dangerous and I'm not going to risk frostbite for a 10 minute run. So that meant I couldn't run from Tuesday to Thursday with cross training on Wednesday. While snowboarding Wednesday, I managed to make a not so spectacular crash turn into a huge ache Thursday. Since I was having a hard time getting off the couch, I decided that maybe I shouldn't cross train that day.
On Friday, my family drove to Ames for my younger sister's Lego League State competition that was to take place most of Saturday. Because it started very early, we had to stay in a hotel which meant I was able to run. On a treadmill of course, but it was still a run. I only ran 3 fast miles before I was forced to sleep but it was the first running I did since Monday.
The Lego League State competition started early on Saturday so we had to be there around 8:00. The competition had many parts but consisted mainly of three parts revolving around a central theme, which this year happened to be "climate connections". One section involved making the robot built of legos (that had been previously made by the kids) do specific tasks. The highest score of the three times they did this was their final score. They also had to research some way to help solve a problem related to the climate and give a presentation. The last part of the competition was two more presentations about the robot and the group's teamwork. A lot of hard work is put into the competitions but at times it can be a bit overwhelming with all the screaming children who supposedbly have team spirit, and a lot of waiting and standing around.
My family decided to wait around for the closing ceremonies before heading back. The closing ceremonies took about an hour longer than expected though because of a demonstration which tried to make Segways look cool. It didn't work but it wasted a lot of time. Many parents started getting ansty by the time they started giving out awards due to the road condition warnings flashing on the bottom of the screen. My sister's team didn't win any awards, but they made it to state which I think is the best part. Plus, the road conditions had gotten so bad that my parents decided to stay another night at the hotel. Which, judging by the 16 cars we saw in the ditch or off the sides of the road on the way home, was a good decision.
Another night in the hotel meant another night of running on the treadmill, which I was actually excited about. I ran 4 miles this time in a new PR of 31:09. This PR unfortunately doesn't count though since it was on a treadmill and inside. I had to take a break halfway through the run though because it was about 100 degrees in the exercise room. I had to do this the previous day too and I think I was freaking the desk guy out by standing outside when it was freezing out.
I ran only 4 miles again because my legs are pretty sore. It was slower at a time of 36:36 but it was outside and snowing (again). My pace was faster than it has been which is was but now my legs are really sore, especially on the outsides of my knee. So now I'm sitting here typing this icing my leg which in turn is making me really cold. Hopefully, my legs will be less sore but since it is the beginning of the cycling season I think I can deal with it. Expect my next post to be a bit different though, since it will not be about running but instead about my other favorite sport.
The extreme cold did keep me from running, but that dealt more with safety issues. Running in wind chill warnings is dangerous and I'm not going to risk frostbite for a 10 minute run. So that meant I couldn't run from Tuesday to Thursday with cross training on Wednesday. While snowboarding Wednesday, I managed to make a not so spectacular crash turn into a huge ache Thursday. Since I was having a hard time getting off the couch, I decided that maybe I shouldn't cross train that day.
On Friday, my family drove to Ames for my younger sister's Lego League State competition that was to take place most of Saturday. Because it started very early, we had to stay in a hotel which meant I was able to run. On a treadmill of course, but it was still a run. I only ran 3 fast miles before I was forced to sleep but it was the first running I did since Monday.
The Lego League State competition started early on Saturday so we had to be there around 8:00. The competition had many parts but consisted mainly of three parts revolving around a central theme, which this year happened to be "climate connections". One section involved making the robot built of legos (that had been previously made by the kids) do specific tasks. The highest score of the three times they did this was their final score. They also had to research some way to help solve a problem related to the climate and give a presentation. The last part of the competition was two more presentations about the robot and the group's teamwork. A lot of hard work is put into the competitions but at times it can be a bit overwhelming with all the screaming children who supposedbly have team spirit, and a lot of waiting and standing around.
My family decided to wait around for the closing ceremonies before heading back. The closing ceremonies took about an hour longer than expected though because of a demonstration which tried to make Segways look cool. It didn't work but it wasted a lot of time. Many parents started getting ansty by the time they started giving out awards due to the road condition warnings flashing on the bottom of the screen. My sister's team didn't win any awards, but they made it to state which I think is the best part. Plus, the road conditions had gotten so bad that my parents decided to stay another night at the hotel. Which, judging by the 16 cars we saw in the ditch or off the sides of the road on the way home, was a good decision.
Another night in the hotel meant another night of running on the treadmill, which I was actually excited about. I ran 4 miles this time in a new PR of 31:09. This PR unfortunately doesn't count though since it was on a treadmill and inside. I had to take a break halfway through the run though because it was about 100 degrees in the exercise room. I had to do this the previous day too and I think I was freaking the desk guy out by standing outside when it was freezing out.
I ran only 4 miles again because my legs are pretty sore. It was slower at a time of 36:36 but it was outside and snowing (again). My pace was faster than it has been which is was but now my legs are really sore, especially on the outsides of my knee. So now I'm sitting here typing this icing my leg which in turn is making me really cold. Hopefully, my legs will be less sore but since it is the beginning of the cycling season I think I can deal with it. Expect my next post to be a bit different though, since it will not be about running but instead about my other favorite sport.
Monday, January 12, 2009
EARLY OUT
Today after they announced school was getting out early and everyone erupted in cheers, they started making the obligatory weather related sports announcements. That meant that in almost every class I went to, there were various people complaining that their sport's practices were still on. What a bunch of lazy bums.
I guess I can kind of identify how they feel. I've been through too many announcements that come on and say "basically every sport is canceled except for track" or "all sports are canceled or indoors but long distance runners you still have to run outside". These announcements are terrible so once track starts, half days kind of lose their appeal. But these announcements also allow me to feel even more superior over other sports because weather doesn't stop us.
This superiority often makes me ridicule others when they complain. But some of my scorn is justified. The swimmers are complaining about practice- which is indoors. Basketball practices- indoors. Wrestling- also indoors. There are no sports that have their season during the winter that practice outdoors. Yet they complain when I know that regardless of the weather I will run outside. There's a reason we got out early, blizzard warnings, blowing snow including the three inches that was on the ground while I ran, plus it was cold outside. All those people complaining get to be inside so why are they complaining?
It was a warm 26 degrees when I ran today and not as windy as it has been. Sure, those 5.65 miles were incredibly slow because there was snow on the sidewalks and streets that made it hard to run on. Then there was the problem of the snow blowing into my face on the way back to my house. My long sleeve shirt was soaked and covered in snow. The snow had also covered my knee socks making my running tights underneath them, very wet. The worst part of the snow wasn't the fact that it stung my cheeks and made me cold, it was that it was freezing on my eyelashes, headband, and hair. I was constantly having to wipe off my face to see. And with the low visibility, that didn't help.
Running in the snow is, of course, magical at times, but not as much today. I was pretty focused on getting my run done so I could get warm and eat lunch (at 2:50) than noticing the quiet, snow globe like feel. I was trying to go faster too, but that wasn't working out as well. Overall, it wasn't a terrible run, just really hard. It's almost making me look forward to single digit temperatures.
I guess I can kind of identify how they feel. I've been through too many announcements that come on and say "basically every sport is canceled except for track" or "all sports are canceled or indoors but long distance runners you still have to run outside". These announcements are terrible so once track starts, half days kind of lose their appeal. But these announcements also allow me to feel even more superior over other sports because weather doesn't stop us.
This superiority often makes me ridicule others when they complain. But some of my scorn is justified. The swimmers are complaining about practice- which is indoors. Basketball practices- indoors. Wrestling- also indoors. There are no sports that have their season during the winter that practice outdoors. Yet they complain when I know that regardless of the weather I will run outside. There's a reason we got out early, blizzard warnings, blowing snow including the three inches that was on the ground while I ran, plus it was cold outside. All those people complaining get to be inside so why are they complaining?
It was a warm 26 degrees when I ran today and not as windy as it has been. Sure, those 5.65 miles were incredibly slow because there was snow on the sidewalks and streets that made it hard to run on. Then there was the problem of the snow blowing into my face on the way back to my house. My long sleeve shirt was soaked and covered in snow. The snow had also covered my knee socks making my running tights underneath them, very wet. The worst part of the snow wasn't the fact that it stung my cheeks and made me cold, it was that it was freezing on my eyelashes, headband, and hair. I was constantly having to wipe off my face to see. And with the low visibility, that didn't help.
Running in the snow is, of course, magical at times, but not as much today. I was pretty focused on getting my run done so I could get warm and eat lunch (at 2:50) than noticing the quiet, snow globe like feel. I was trying to go faster too, but that wasn't working out as well. Overall, it wasn't a terrible run, just really hard. It's almost making me look forward to single digit temperatures.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
NO MORE EXCUSES
This week was a week of progress. 31.9 miles of progress to be exact. Lately I haven't been training very well for track and have been worrying that my results will show it. I don't want to disappoint my family, my teammates, myself, and most of all my coach. Most of the time I can't stand him, but during xc I realized that my coach isn't as bad as I thought. My coach might actually have started believing in me and I don't want to let him down. And let's face it, running for results that at the moment seem far away hasn't exactly got me outside when it's been nice and cozy inside.
Last week I ran a measly amount of miles that does not deserve to be published but I had excuses. It was cold, icy, the streets weren't cleared of snow, there wasn't enough daylight to run in, my legs were sore, my fast teammates weren't getting my runs in, and I was bored with running the same roads around my house multiple times just to get a small run in. But these are the same excuses I've been using all winter to justify my small mileage. I realized that since I don't believe in excuses during a race (unless there is a really good one) than excuses shouldn't count during normal runs either.
Weather should not be an excuse as to why I'm slacking off. Because as Bill Bowerman says in one of my favorite quotes, "There is no bad weather, only soft people". I've been complaining about bad weather, bad road conditions, etc. but those are just excuses that soft people make. I can run in over 100 degree heat so I should be able to run when it's below freezing out. Sure, my cheeks will get numb but at least I won't sweat as much. I have run in thunderstorms, heavy rain, mud, and freezing rain, yet I was making excuses as to why I couldn't run because it was too windy out. I had been turning into one of those soft people who I make fun of as they pass me in their nice warm cars while I'm running.
My coach doesn't make excuses. He thinks there should be no reason that we aren't hitting our times even though its pouring rain and thundering with mud that sucks on your shoes, 90 degrees and sunny with no shade, or 20 degrees and icy. This is obviously very annoying because it's not like we aren't trying. But none of my excuses I tell myself would my coach even consider. He'd tell me to suck it up or use one of those funny sayings he's always telling us. He just started running again after xc ended so I'm not sure if he's as strict with himself as he is with us, but I'm pretty sure he'd get mad if he found out about my training. But I like those few and far between smiles and congratulations I get from him so I've decided to work harder. I mean, my coach is actually running (I saw him run for the first time in November) and I don't want him to be able to beat me when he runs with us. I want to be able to impress him and show him that I can do this. That I am a runner and will work hard to accomplish something he and I would be proud of.
I've been thinking about this for awhile and this Monday I decided to do something about it. I ran 5.65 miles after choosing a new out and back route that is very hilly but as my dad would say, "builds character". I ran the same route Tuesday and Wednesday, getting more tired but dropping almost a minute each time I ran it. Thursday I went to a gym and ran a fast 2.25 miles before swimming because a friend wanted me to workout with her. I was almost going to count this as a rest day but thought I could get enough miles in later in the week while still taking an actual rest day. Friday I didn't run. I made the excuse that it was too slushy outside and my legs were sore. I gave into the excuses but promised myself to run the rest of the week. Saturday I ran 5.65 miles. It was super windy and kind of slushy but I pushed through it. Plus there was an article about cycling and running in the sports section which hardly ever happens, so I was able to be inspired. Today, Sunday, I ran 7.05 miles very slowly. Physically I knew I could do it even though my legs were a little sore. The wind and cold turned it into more of a mental battle though, but I did it. All 31.9 miles of it.
As I sit here typing this, my legs are very tired. But they are a good tired because I know that hard work is what made them sore. Now I can talk to my coach and tell him without lying or not telling the whole truth, that I actually got my miles in. I won't have to avoid his room anymore and I will finally be able to walk around knowing that I accomplished something this week. I can now look at the sprinters and laugh again at the meager training they call running. I am myself again now that I running more than a few miles and am putting everything into my training. I have figured out that running is hard but harder when you make excuses. Because excuses may belong in other sports but they have no place in running.
Last week I ran a measly amount of miles that does not deserve to be published but I had excuses. It was cold, icy, the streets weren't cleared of snow, there wasn't enough daylight to run in, my legs were sore, my fast teammates weren't getting my runs in, and I was bored with running the same roads around my house multiple times just to get a small run in. But these are the same excuses I've been using all winter to justify my small mileage. I realized that since I don't believe in excuses during a race (unless there is a really good one) than excuses shouldn't count during normal runs either.
Weather should not be an excuse as to why I'm slacking off. Because as Bill Bowerman says in one of my favorite quotes, "There is no bad weather, only soft people". I've been complaining about bad weather, bad road conditions, etc. but those are just excuses that soft people make. I can run in over 100 degree heat so I should be able to run when it's below freezing out. Sure, my cheeks will get numb but at least I won't sweat as much. I have run in thunderstorms, heavy rain, mud, and freezing rain, yet I was making excuses as to why I couldn't run because it was too windy out. I had been turning into one of those soft people who I make fun of as they pass me in their nice warm cars while I'm running.
My coach doesn't make excuses. He thinks there should be no reason that we aren't hitting our times even though its pouring rain and thundering with mud that sucks on your shoes, 90 degrees and sunny with no shade, or 20 degrees and icy. This is obviously very annoying because it's not like we aren't trying. But none of my excuses I tell myself would my coach even consider. He'd tell me to suck it up or use one of those funny sayings he's always telling us. He just started running again after xc ended so I'm not sure if he's as strict with himself as he is with us, but I'm pretty sure he'd get mad if he found out about my training. But I like those few and far between smiles and congratulations I get from him so I've decided to work harder. I mean, my coach is actually running (I saw him run for the first time in November) and I don't want him to be able to beat me when he runs with us. I want to be able to impress him and show him that I can do this. That I am a runner and will work hard to accomplish something he and I would be proud of.
I've been thinking about this for awhile and this Monday I decided to do something about it. I ran 5.65 miles after choosing a new out and back route that is very hilly but as my dad would say, "builds character". I ran the same route Tuesday and Wednesday, getting more tired but dropping almost a minute each time I ran it. Thursday I went to a gym and ran a fast 2.25 miles before swimming because a friend wanted me to workout with her. I was almost going to count this as a rest day but thought I could get enough miles in later in the week while still taking an actual rest day. Friday I didn't run. I made the excuse that it was too slushy outside and my legs were sore. I gave into the excuses but promised myself to run the rest of the week. Saturday I ran 5.65 miles. It was super windy and kind of slushy but I pushed through it. Plus there was an article about cycling and running in the sports section which hardly ever happens, so I was able to be inspired. Today, Sunday, I ran 7.05 miles very slowly. Physically I knew I could do it even though my legs were a little sore. The wind and cold turned it into more of a mental battle though, but I did it. All 31.9 miles of it.
As I sit here typing this, my legs are very tired. But they are a good tired because I know that hard work is what made them sore. Now I can talk to my coach and tell him without lying or not telling the whole truth, that I actually got my miles in. I won't have to avoid his room anymore and I will finally be able to walk around knowing that I accomplished something this week. I can now look at the sprinters and laugh again at the meager training they call running. I am myself again now that I running more than a few miles and am putting everything into my training. I have figured out that running is hard but harder when you make excuses. Because excuses may belong in other sports but they have no place in running.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
AN ICE COLD RACE
The last race of the year sounds like a good idea, if you live in Florida or something like that. In Iowa, not so much. It was 4 degrees outside at 9:00 a.m. when I ran my race. The gravel trail where we ran parts of our race on was partly covered by snow and ice. And not all of the ice was thin and crunchy, the stuff that you can keep upright on. Some of the ice was in sheets, shiny like glass. In one area there was a frozen puddle that was more the size of a small pond. It looked like a good ice skating rink but dangerous to run on.
True, it was supposed to be a fun run or whatever that is, but who goes for "fun runs" when it's 4 degrees out. Apparently quite a few people. When I went to warm up outside about 40 minutes before the race, there was no one else. There was a lot of people warming up on the indoor track at the rec center, but I prefer not to run around 200m elipses over and over and over. Instead I ran around a parking lot in multiple layers. I figured I might as well get used to it before the race.
When we actually gathered for the race, we were told that we had the option of running inside around the track and no one would make fun of us for not wanting to run outside (wimps). We had to take multiple pictures and get told that it was only a "fun run" and not a real race (which is a total lie) before we could actually start the race. There was no official starting line and we were just yelled at to go which allowed me to start towards the front. Less than 400m from where we started we had to cross a busy street. I stopped because I didn't want to get hit by a car but this idiot little kid who looked about 10, ran in front of the car. A few cars later an adult, probably the kids dad, raced in front of the cars. I waited until there was no potential collision waiting to happen before I crossed the street and ran across the frosty field (where I passed the idiot little kid).
The next part of my race was running 3 laps around the trail at the park which happens to be the site of my home xc course. I haven't really ran around the trail before, only parts of it, but everywhere I looked I found more memories of practices and races even though we were running around the course backwards. There was the bridge that constantly contained people even during a race, the always muddy spot where people slip near the evergreens, and the slight hill that never fails in tiring you out.
On the first lap I realized I had started out way too fast. I should've started out slower but I was so caught up in racing and beating a bunch of guys, especially the ones in the matching outfits, that I sprinted. While going up the slight hill, the one that always tires me out, I found that a 5k is longer than you think. I hit the downhill and I felt a lot better even though I almost fell on an icy corner. At least the guy behind me didn't laugh. I also got a compliment on my knee socks, my incredibly luck red and black ones that I specially chose for my race. This was by a volunteer but I had gotten another one earlier from the only female to beat me.
On the second lap, after that little hill, I began thinking of excuses I could tell others, but mostly myself, as to why I completely sucked during this race. I had only let a few people pass me but I was slowing way down and my legs were getting tired. I thought the cold, tired legs, maybe an ache here or there could convince people that it really wasn't my fault I slowed down so much and completely lost the race. When I started passing the familiar xc spots I realized I was a complete idiot. If I sucked, it was my fault, the same as it was if I rocked. This was when my legs started feeling better although they might have finally been going numb. Somebody passed me right after that but I was ready to finish my race.
The third lap was hard but I was in my zone. I concentrated on picking up the pace and efficiently dodging ice. Near a large ice puddle, an man wearing a winter coat that was open and flying back in the wind, passed me. At first I couldn't figure out why he was racing me, I thought he was just exercising on the trail like some walkers I had passed. He was actually in the race though, because he followed the path I was running. I didn't see him before or after the race, and I'm not sure he did all the laps (you didn't have to but those who didn't, wimps) but he kind of freaked me out. Everyone else who had passed me, although not as colorful, were wearing all the right running gear. Speaking of which, I saw many people wearing the running tights without shorts over them. At my school and all the others I've seen, you wear shorts over the tights. Without the shorts, you remind me of an annoying girl on the team who likes to show off as much skin in tight clothes as possible. Also, it's just gross.
After my third lap and running across the open field behind the coat dude, we had to stop at a stoplight. It was there I met up with one pair of guys who were wearing matching clothes, the college aged ones. I was very close to them before the light and would've passed them if we hadn't had to stop but I liked the look on their faces when they saw a girl was close to beating them. Once the light changed, I ran behind them for a bit so they would forget about me. Then I slowly sped up, although I was very tired, so I was running beside them. One of the guy kept giving me looks but I sprinted for the non existant finish line.
I ended up beating them, but then sitting beside them while I won no door prizes (they both won backpacks). Most of the prizes were strange but I got Gatorade and 2 waters. It was red Gatorade, which I don't really like, but I was fast enough so that I didn't have to drink the yellow, pure disgusting sugar Gatorade. I also got a pink colored energy gel that looks like something they eat (or drink?) at the Tour de France. Since I don't plan on riding up the Alps at 30mph anytime soon, I don't think the gel will be used. My tie dye T-shirt is pretty cool though so all the race stuff wasn't that bad.
My time was 29:02, give or take a few seconds, which seems incredibly crappy. I was at least in the top 15 so I really wasn't that bad. The combination of the cold, ice and snow, and an unknown route all factored into the time. I'm still not spreading the news of my time around though but the race was a lot of fun.
True, it was supposed to be a fun run or whatever that is, but who goes for "fun runs" when it's 4 degrees out. Apparently quite a few people. When I went to warm up outside about 40 minutes before the race, there was no one else. There was a lot of people warming up on the indoor track at the rec center, but I prefer not to run around 200m elipses over and over and over. Instead I ran around a parking lot in multiple layers. I figured I might as well get used to it before the race.
When we actually gathered for the race, we were told that we had the option of running inside around the track and no one would make fun of us for not wanting to run outside (wimps). We had to take multiple pictures and get told that it was only a "fun run" and not a real race (which is a total lie) before we could actually start the race. There was no official starting line and we were just yelled at to go which allowed me to start towards the front. Less than 400m from where we started we had to cross a busy street. I stopped because I didn't want to get hit by a car but this idiot little kid who looked about 10, ran in front of the car. A few cars later an adult, probably the kids dad, raced in front of the cars. I waited until there was no potential collision waiting to happen before I crossed the street and ran across the frosty field (where I passed the idiot little kid).
The next part of my race was running 3 laps around the trail at the park which happens to be the site of my home xc course. I haven't really ran around the trail before, only parts of it, but everywhere I looked I found more memories of practices and races even though we were running around the course backwards. There was the bridge that constantly contained people even during a race, the always muddy spot where people slip near the evergreens, and the slight hill that never fails in tiring you out.
On the first lap I realized I had started out way too fast. I should've started out slower but I was so caught up in racing and beating a bunch of guys, especially the ones in the matching outfits, that I sprinted. While going up the slight hill, the one that always tires me out, I found that a 5k is longer than you think. I hit the downhill and I felt a lot better even though I almost fell on an icy corner. At least the guy behind me didn't laugh. I also got a compliment on my knee socks, my incredibly luck red and black ones that I specially chose for my race. This was by a volunteer but I had gotten another one earlier from the only female to beat me.
On the second lap, after that little hill, I began thinking of excuses I could tell others, but mostly myself, as to why I completely sucked during this race. I had only let a few people pass me but I was slowing way down and my legs were getting tired. I thought the cold, tired legs, maybe an ache here or there could convince people that it really wasn't my fault I slowed down so much and completely lost the race. When I started passing the familiar xc spots I realized I was a complete idiot. If I sucked, it was my fault, the same as it was if I rocked. This was when my legs started feeling better although they might have finally been going numb. Somebody passed me right after that but I was ready to finish my race.
The third lap was hard but I was in my zone. I concentrated on picking up the pace and efficiently dodging ice. Near a large ice puddle, an man wearing a winter coat that was open and flying back in the wind, passed me. At first I couldn't figure out why he was racing me, I thought he was just exercising on the trail like some walkers I had passed. He was actually in the race though, because he followed the path I was running. I didn't see him before or after the race, and I'm not sure he did all the laps (you didn't have to but those who didn't, wimps) but he kind of freaked me out. Everyone else who had passed me, although not as colorful, were wearing all the right running gear. Speaking of which, I saw many people wearing the running tights without shorts over them. At my school and all the others I've seen, you wear shorts over the tights. Without the shorts, you remind me of an annoying girl on the team who likes to show off as much skin in tight clothes as possible. Also, it's just gross.
After my third lap and running across the open field behind the coat dude, we had to stop at a stoplight. It was there I met up with one pair of guys who were wearing matching clothes, the college aged ones. I was very close to them before the light and would've passed them if we hadn't had to stop but I liked the look on their faces when they saw a girl was close to beating them. Once the light changed, I ran behind them for a bit so they would forget about me. Then I slowly sped up, although I was very tired, so I was running beside them. One of the guy kept giving me looks but I sprinted for the non existant finish line.
I ended up beating them, but then sitting beside them while I won no door prizes (they both won backpacks). Most of the prizes were strange but I got Gatorade and 2 waters. It was red Gatorade, which I don't really like, but I was fast enough so that I didn't have to drink the yellow, pure disgusting sugar Gatorade. I also got a pink colored energy gel that looks like something they eat (or drink?) at the Tour de France. Since I don't plan on riding up the Alps at 30mph anytime soon, I don't think the gel will be used. My tie dye T-shirt is pretty cool though so all the race stuff wasn't that bad.
My time was 29:02, give or take a few seconds, which seems incredibly crappy. I was at least in the top 15 so I really wasn't that bad. The combination of the cold, ice and snow, and an unknown route all factored into the time. I'm still not spreading the news of my time around though but the race was a lot of fun.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
MY NEIGHBORS
Since I haven't ran for the past 2 days I really shouldn't write about running (although I put in a good 6 miles and talked to my coach!). During my run though, I was thinking about my neighbors.
Most of these "neighbors" are not really neighbors, most of them just live in the vicinity. They live on a street that my street comes off of, but since I am so well aquainted with their sidewalks, I feel as though they are my real neighbors.
My favorite is the short old man who walks his old dog outside when it's 30 degrees out. He and his dog shuffle along slowly, although it may be because the old man is so tightly bundled up. I salute him though because he is out there when many people aren't. I call him "the old guy with the old dog". I have only one problem with him and that is the fact that his sidewalks are never clear until a week after the snow/ice come. I know he is an old man, that's where he got his nickname, but he has people living with him, there's cars in the driveway, and sometimes there's a shovel by his door. I almost want to shovel his sidewalk for him because whoever is supposed to be shoveling off his sidewalk is doing a terrible job of it.
The old guy with the old dog had a surprise for me however. His sidewalks were SHOVELED. Hardly anybody's sidewalks were shoveled which makes it an even bigger surprise. But the sidewalks were clear, no ice or snow. If he had been standing in his driveway, I would've hugged him although he obviously is not the one shoveling it. I think he was giving me an early Christmas present because he made my last around home run before Christmas a very special one.
Not all my neighbors are kind and nice like the old guy with the old dog. Some of them hate me. Take for example the people who live on a corner that kept their McCain/Palin sign up almost 3 weeks after the election (a.k.a. the Palin people). I haven't seen them before and they don't know I support Obama but they hate me. There is always something wrong with their sidewalks. A few days ago, everyone's was clear while the Palin people's was icy. It didn't just have icy patches, the sidewalk was a sheet of ice. They also build hurdles at the end of their sidewalks. Where the street meets their sidewalk there always seems to be a big pile of snow. It's over a foot high and I somehow have to jump over it. I haven't missed yet but it's kind of embarrassing when the cars drive by. Today they didn't even bother shoveling their driveway (and even the old guy with the old dog did!). The Palin people just don't like me.
The other kind of neighbors that seem to be popular lately are the stalker or creeper neighbors. When they see me run by they pull up chairs to their windows and watch me. They know my route (which I guess isn't that hard, because I have like one route where laps can be added on) and they are always so impressed that I run up the hill. One such neighbor today was walking his dog towards the bottom of the hill (the dog didn't even bark at me!) and from across the street he told me how he was impressed with how I was always running. He used to run up the hill but can't do that anymore. He used to have fun doing it and it's nice to see someone else having fun running too.
I wasn't even going to run up the whole hill because the street conditions were too slick but I ran up halfway because I apparently have a reputation to keep.
Another lady that lives on my hill told me, while shoveling her sidewalks, that she was so impressed with how I ran up the hill all the time because she could barely walk up.
These people may just be trying to be nice but it gets a little creepy. Everybody seems to know that I'm that girl who's always running. And how do they know I'm always running. Do they have jobs or something better to do that look out their windows and watch me? Even the HOPE sign people knew I was that runner girl because they hadn't seen me for awhile (I know they are retired so they're excused). These people know more about me than I know about them, I don't recognize half of them. It does make me feel good though.
I haven't covered all my neighbors yet (just wait for the snow comet people) but my favorites have been talked about. They really aren't that bad as long as they clear off their sidewalks.
Most of these "neighbors" are not really neighbors, most of them just live in the vicinity. They live on a street that my street comes off of, but since I am so well aquainted with their sidewalks, I feel as though they are my real neighbors.
My favorite is the short old man who walks his old dog outside when it's 30 degrees out. He and his dog shuffle along slowly, although it may be because the old man is so tightly bundled up. I salute him though because he is out there when many people aren't. I call him "the old guy with the old dog". I have only one problem with him and that is the fact that his sidewalks are never clear until a week after the snow/ice come. I know he is an old man, that's where he got his nickname, but he has people living with him, there's cars in the driveway, and sometimes there's a shovel by his door. I almost want to shovel his sidewalk for him because whoever is supposed to be shoveling off his sidewalk is doing a terrible job of it.
The old guy with the old dog had a surprise for me however. His sidewalks were SHOVELED. Hardly anybody's sidewalks were shoveled which makes it an even bigger surprise. But the sidewalks were clear, no ice or snow. If he had been standing in his driveway, I would've hugged him although he obviously is not the one shoveling it. I think he was giving me an early Christmas present because he made my last around home run before Christmas a very special one.
Not all my neighbors are kind and nice like the old guy with the old dog. Some of them hate me. Take for example the people who live on a corner that kept their McCain/Palin sign up almost 3 weeks after the election (a.k.a. the Palin people). I haven't seen them before and they don't know I support Obama but they hate me. There is always something wrong with their sidewalks. A few days ago, everyone's was clear while the Palin people's was icy. It didn't just have icy patches, the sidewalk was a sheet of ice. They also build hurdles at the end of their sidewalks. Where the street meets their sidewalk there always seems to be a big pile of snow. It's over a foot high and I somehow have to jump over it. I haven't missed yet but it's kind of embarrassing when the cars drive by. Today they didn't even bother shoveling their driveway (and even the old guy with the old dog did!). The Palin people just don't like me.
The other kind of neighbors that seem to be popular lately are the stalker or creeper neighbors. When they see me run by they pull up chairs to their windows and watch me. They know my route (which I guess isn't that hard, because I have like one route where laps can be added on) and they are always so impressed that I run up the hill. One such neighbor today was walking his dog towards the bottom of the hill (the dog didn't even bark at me!) and from across the street he told me how he was impressed with how I was always running. He used to run up the hill but can't do that anymore. He used to have fun doing it and it's nice to see someone else having fun running too.
I wasn't even going to run up the whole hill because the street conditions were too slick but I ran up halfway because I apparently have a reputation to keep.
Another lady that lives on my hill told me, while shoveling her sidewalks, that she was so impressed with how I ran up the hill all the time because she could barely walk up.
These people may just be trying to be nice but it gets a little creepy. Everybody seems to know that I'm that girl who's always running. And how do they know I'm always running. Do they have jobs or something better to do that look out their windows and watch me? Even the HOPE sign people knew I was that runner girl because they hadn't seen me for awhile (I know they are retired so they're excused). These people know more about me than I know about them, I don't recognize half of them. It does make me feel good though.
I haven't covered all my neighbors yet (just wait for the snow comet people) but my favorites have been talked about. They really aren't that bad as long as they clear off their sidewalks.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
NON RUNNERS
Yes, it is -2 degrees out with a windchill of -25 degrees, but I still need to run. My mother actually told me I was forbidden to go run today because "it's too cold" and "this cold isn't good for your lungs". Since my running clothes are now in the laundry, I can't defy her and run. It doesn't even seem that cold outside, I've ran in far worse weather. Besides, today was supposed to be my long run day, and now I won't have met my mileage for the week and I'll have to make up my run tomorrow when it's a warm 0 degrees. I have to be properly prepared for my race on New Year's Eve and the weather is messing my schedule up.
Any non runners reading this probably think I'm completely crazy but I've thought of that already. The idea of non runners not understanding runners reminds me of a post in the Runner's World discussions by xtrackaholicx. It is possibly one of the greatest posts ever about running.
"I'm not talking about running, some people can watch track on TV or attend meets, keep tabs on elites and get a pretty fundamental understanding of what times are good, how scoring is done, how training is done. all that technical running stuff that can easily be learned by any observant couch potato in the same way a person can watch "how its made" on discovery channel and understand how they make a car engine but never be able to do it themselves.
Basically, most people don't understand us RUNNERS, the PEOPLE of the sport.
Whenever we feel ****ty and out of shape because we have not run in a while, they assume we must be too mentally attached, or, in other words crazy. After all, who would be upset about NOT exercising right? They also don’t understand how we can make commitments without being miserable. "You cant drink soda? you have to run 70mpw? You have to skip out on a your friends beach party because of a meet? You can't do this? you cant do that? etc... how do you live like that!?"
Perfectly happy, that's how. Or at least happy enough to make it worthwhile.
But I think where we differ most is our perceptions of what an accomplishment is.
I run xx:xx time, I'm miserable because I feel it is slow and that I should be running so much faster. I get 4th place in a race. Most people patronize you by saying "Its not like xx:xx isnt a bad time! You should be proud of yourself! and 4th place is fantastic!"
No, your wrong. because I ran the exact same time 6 months ago. 6 months, 1100+ miles later, consisting of heartbreaking speed works, freezing morning runs, painful hills and long, seemingly endless runs. YOU go through all that, then YOU tell me that its okay and I'm being to hard on myself. It's not like you dedicated yourself to all those miles, only to find them worthless and without improvement. No sweat off your back right? And sure, its easy to say 4th place is great, after all 4's pretty close to 1 right? Well, it doesn't work that way.
I ask you,
Were YOU in the race, and coming around the last half mile YOU saw 3rd place, and did YOU realize that you needed to kick like hell to break it? How would YOU feel, if in that last 400m of the race, you saw third slipping away slowly, while cursing yourself to run faster, harder, ANYTHING just to get to him and finding yourself shriveling back, too afraid to embrace the pain needed to do so? And as third place crossed the finish, and you ambled across the line behind him, did YOU see the look on your opponents face, a look of agony, but relief? And did YOU realize that if only you had sucked it up, if only you had been tough and resilient like a true runner, you would have been able to out kick him? Did YOU look at 5th place, and see how deadly close he had been to passing you? Did YOU cross the finish line, looking at those who proceeded you, and realize that all your miles and hardships had amounted to second best, almost the winner, sorta good, coulda been better, should have tried harder, a secondhand runner. Did YOU look at the guy in second, and realize he was two years younger than you, and his feet over 10,000 miles fresher than yours, and yet still able to beat you regardless of your own work simply because HE HAS THE GIFT, and you do not. And did YOU realize that even though all this may be true, it is no excuse to stop. That you must go and pick up your trainers again in anticipation of another long, silent run, in anticipation of another brain numbing speed work,in anticipation of another day of seemingly endless hills,in anticipation of miles and miles and miles of work.And if even then you find yourself still a secondhand runner, to quit would still mean just that. To be a quitter, to give in and succumb to defeat, to surrender like hundreds before you and become another lost face in a crowd, dreams jaded and faded by a rough, unforgiving self-inflicted nature. To forget what it means to be a runner. To forget the strength it has given you and to forget how it has defined you by creating an ever-determined spirit filled with hope. In favor of succumbing to false realities where time, place, and numbers are all that matters
....
Yes, none of these things cross the mind of non-runners, they know only the numbers. And they patronize you by giving you soap-box pep talks and sanctimonious speeches designed to make you feel stupid for ever doubting yourself. A runner doesn't want to be shown for a fool who is too hard on themselves, they want to express their unrelenting pursuit of their goals by raising the bar higher and higher the further they can reach. Perfection is boring to a runner, to be told to take it easy, your doing fine, there's nothing wrong, some people are just better than others and there is nothing you can do about it. Such rationalizations are the opposite of a runners nature. We dedicate our lives to growing stronger and faster, we derive pleasure from the pursuit, not the catch. We may think that the catch is all we really want. But if your a 15:30 5k runner who has trained for 5 years to achieve that mark, you most likely feel more accomplished and pleased about that time than a gifted runner who ran that time ever since they first started running.
Non-runners don't understand this. To them, our whole world is numbers with no real tangible merit. you either run fast or you don't. The pursuit of victory has ever been dramatized by Hollywood as a glorious affair in which the underdogs eventually triumph over the unbeatable team.
They know nothing of the people who run day after day, mile after mile, hill after hill. only to come up short, again, again, again, and again.
and to still keep running anyway.
Because it's in our nature to always feel as if we could have run faster, harder, longer.
To tell us that we need to relax, that we should be grateful, that we should rest and just be happy with what we already have achieved.
how could you understand?"
Any non runners reading this probably think I'm completely crazy but I've thought of that already. The idea of non runners not understanding runners reminds me of a post in the Runner's World discussions by xtrackaholicx. It is possibly one of the greatest posts ever about running.
"I'm not talking about running, some people can watch track on TV or attend meets, keep tabs on elites and get a pretty fundamental understanding of what times are good, how scoring is done, how training is done. all that technical running stuff that can easily be learned by any observant couch potato in the same way a person can watch "how its made" on discovery channel and understand how they make a car engine but never be able to do it themselves.
Basically, most people don't understand us RUNNERS, the PEOPLE of the sport.
Whenever we feel ****ty and out of shape because we have not run in a while, they assume we must be too mentally attached, or, in other words crazy. After all, who would be upset about NOT exercising right? They also don’t understand how we can make commitments without being miserable. "You cant drink soda? you have to run 70mpw? You have to skip out on a your friends beach party because of a meet? You can't do this? you cant do that? etc... how do you live like that!?"
Perfectly happy, that's how. Or at least happy enough to make it worthwhile.
But I think where we differ most is our perceptions of what an accomplishment is.
I run xx:xx time, I'm miserable because I feel it is slow and that I should be running so much faster. I get 4th place in a race. Most people patronize you by saying "Its not like xx:xx isnt a bad time! You should be proud of yourself! and 4th place is fantastic!"
No, your wrong. because I ran the exact same time 6 months ago. 6 months, 1100+ miles later, consisting of heartbreaking speed works, freezing morning runs, painful hills and long, seemingly endless runs. YOU go through all that, then YOU tell me that its okay and I'm being to hard on myself. It's not like you dedicated yourself to all those miles, only to find them worthless and without improvement. No sweat off your back right? And sure, its easy to say 4th place is great, after all 4's pretty close to 1 right? Well, it doesn't work that way.
I ask you,
Were YOU in the race, and coming around the last half mile YOU saw 3rd place, and did YOU realize that you needed to kick like hell to break it? How would YOU feel, if in that last 400m of the race, you saw third slipping away slowly, while cursing yourself to run faster, harder, ANYTHING just to get to him and finding yourself shriveling back, too afraid to embrace the pain needed to do so? And as third place crossed the finish, and you ambled across the line behind him, did YOU see the look on your opponents face, a look of agony, but relief? And did YOU realize that if only you had sucked it up, if only you had been tough and resilient like a true runner, you would have been able to out kick him? Did YOU look at 5th place, and see how deadly close he had been to passing you? Did YOU cross the finish line, looking at those who proceeded you, and realize that all your miles and hardships had amounted to second best, almost the winner, sorta good, coulda been better, should have tried harder, a secondhand runner. Did YOU look at the guy in second, and realize he was two years younger than you, and his feet over 10,000 miles fresher than yours, and yet still able to beat you regardless of your own work simply because HE HAS THE GIFT, and you do not. And did YOU realize that even though all this may be true, it is no excuse to stop. That you must go and pick up your trainers again in anticipation of another long, silent run, in anticipation of another brain numbing speed work,in anticipation of another day of seemingly endless hills,in anticipation of miles and miles and miles of work.And if even then you find yourself still a secondhand runner, to quit would still mean just that. To be a quitter, to give in and succumb to defeat, to surrender like hundreds before you and become another lost face in a crowd, dreams jaded and faded by a rough, unforgiving self-inflicted nature. To forget what it means to be a runner. To forget the strength it has given you and to forget how it has defined you by creating an ever-determined spirit filled with hope. In favor of succumbing to false realities where time, place, and numbers are all that matters
....
Yes, none of these things cross the mind of non-runners, they know only the numbers. And they patronize you by giving you soap-box pep talks and sanctimonious speeches designed to make you feel stupid for ever doubting yourself. A runner doesn't want to be shown for a fool who is too hard on themselves, they want to express their unrelenting pursuit of their goals by raising the bar higher and higher the further they can reach. Perfection is boring to a runner, to be told to take it easy, your doing fine, there's nothing wrong, some people are just better than others and there is nothing you can do about it. Such rationalizations are the opposite of a runners nature. We dedicate our lives to growing stronger and faster, we derive pleasure from the pursuit, not the catch. We may think that the catch is all we really want. But if your a 15:30 5k runner who has trained for 5 years to achieve that mark, you most likely feel more accomplished and pleased about that time than a gifted runner who ran that time ever since they first started running.
Non-runners don't understand this. To them, our whole world is numbers with no real tangible merit. you either run fast or you don't. The pursuit of victory has ever been dramatized by Hollywood as a glorious affair in which the underdogs eventually triumph over the unbeatable team.
They know nothing of the people who run day after day, mile after mile, hill after hill. only to come up short, again, again, again, and again.
and to still keep running anyway.
Because it's in our nature to always feel as if we could have run faster, harder, longer.
To tell us that we need to relax, that we should be grateful, that we should rest and just be happy with what we already have achieved.
how could you understand?"
Saturday, December 20, 2008
SNOW
I love running in the snow. When the snow doesn't consist of large flakes, but smaller and seemlingly soft flakes that just lazily fall to the ground. Today it was almost like running in a snow globe.
I had another excuse to run in the middle of the street because none of the sidewalks were cleared (but I wouldn't have run on them anyways). Hardly anyone was out shoveling or snowblowing so it was almost like I was the only one outside. It was very serene and quiet, at certain points in my run the only sound I heard was my footsteps and sometimes my own breath. My run was calming and peaceful because the only thing besides me outside was the snow. I'd like to think of it as a connection with nature that just so happened in the middle of a residental street.
Sometimes I just stopped in the middle of the street to listen to the silence and watch the snowflakes slowly float to the ground. When I caught them in my glove they looked like stereotypical snowflakes. Like the ones you make as a little kid or ones you see in pictures. It was a perfect snow, in a way.
Running in weather that looks like a snow globe is amazing. It helps me connect not just to nature, but the reason I love running. When most people are hiding in their houses because it's cold and snowy outside, I'm becoming stronger and faster while at the same time enjoying it. Snow is one of my favorite types of weather to run in.
I had another excuse to run in the middle of the street because none of the sidewalks were cleared (but I wouldn't have run on them anyways). Hardly anyone was out shoveling or snowblowing so it was almost like I was the only one outside. It was very serene and quiet, at certain points in my run the only sound I heard was my footsteps and sometimes my own breath. My run was calming and peaceful because the only thing besides me outside was the snow. I'd like to think of it as a connection with nature that just so happened in the middle of a residental street.
Sometimes I just stopped in the middle of the street to listen to the silence and watch the snowflakes slowly float to the ground. When I caught them in my glove they looked like stereotypical snowflakes. Like the ones you make as a little kid or ones you see in pictures. It was a perfect snow, in a way.
Running in weather that looks like a snow globe is amazing. It helps me connect not just to nature, but the reason I love running. When most people are hiding in their houses because it's cold and snowy outside, I'm becoming stronger and faster while at the same time enjoying it. Snow is one of my favorite types of weather to run in.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
HOW I FROZE WHILE RUNNING
I dressed for my run when it was 43 degrees outside. It had been 52 before and I thought I would be able to wear shorts in December but the temperature dropped, which should have told me something. Thirty minutes later after deciding a route in which to run 7.5 miles, it was 38 degrees and windy. I was only wearing my light running tights and my lightest long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve one. I had wore some of my favorite running clothes hoping it would help me on my long run and ignored the weather for the most part. I had at least wore gloves and a headband which would come in handy later on.
After 2.78 miles, I made the decision to keep running rather than run inside my house and put on an extra shirt. My run had started out a little chilly but I'd gotten warmer. The dark clouds in the sky were gathering however, and I was worried it would start pouring and I would freeze (I was halfway right). I ran on though, partly because I didn't want to stop, and partly because I didn't think it would rain since it hadn't all day. I didn't want to be warm either so I took my chances. While talking to myself, I jokingly thought that I'd probably get down to the bottom of my hill and it would pour, since I hadn't grabbed another shirt. I was close. I made it down the hill and then less than 400m later it started raining. I thought this was funny but it was a nice rain, steady and not heavy yet so I ran on. Plus running up my hill twice isn't the greatest experience.
My shoelace is actually frozen in this position.
The loop in my shoelaces is actually hard and wouldn't straighten until it melted.
My shirt is frozen in this position.
It wouldn't stand up on its own because the back isn't frozen. The arms are frozen in that position however.
Those wrinkles in my shirt don't move.
The bottom of my frozen shirt.
The slightly darker spots are where the ice is.
This is one of my favorites because you can really see how the ice froze it.
This is my driveway which didn't look like this at all before my run. You can actually see the ice pellets.
After 2.78 miles, I made the decision to keep running rather than run inside my house and put on an extra shirt. My run had started out a little chilly but I'd gotten warmer. The dark clouds in the sky were gathering however, and I was worried it would start pouring and I would freeze (I was halfway right). I ran on though, partly because I didn't want to stop, and partly because I didn't think it would rain since it hadn't all day. I didn't want to be warm either so I took my chances. While talking to myself, I jokingly thought that I'd probably get down to the bottom of my hill and it would pour, since I hadn't grabbed another shirt. I was close. I made it down the hill and then less than 400m later it started raining. I thought this was funny but it was a nice rain, steady and not heavy yet so I ran on. Plus running up my hill twice isn't the greatest experience.
It began raining off and on during my run and I started getting a little cold. It wasn't too bad though until it got windier and even the light rain began flinging against my face. I had been worried about hail and sleet but this didn't seem much better. I put my head down when this happened and ran on since I needed to get my long run in and I figured the miles would help if the ice prevented me from running later on in the week.
The rain continued stinging my face and it proceeded to get colder. I didn't take much notice until about 6 miles into my run while it wasn't raining. I moved my arm for some reason, maybe to check my watch or wipe the rain dripping from my hair into my eyes, or something like that. My sleeve felt weird and I touched it. If felt like there was something underneath it making it hard. Then I figured out that it was frozen. My sleeve was frozen. It had become hard and the wrinkles and sags in the shirt weren't able to move because they had frozen. I checked my other sleeve and found the same result. I checked the top parts of my sleeves, and although not as hard, there was still an icy covering spread over them. I found this hilarious, which should have told me I was becoming delerious from the cold and rain and turned back.
It took me at least another half mile before I figured out that it hadn't been simply rain that combined with the cold that froze the arms of my shirt. It had been freezing rain or sleet. Maybe that was why people had been giving me weird looks as they ran to their cars and wiped the ice off. Minutes later it started raining again so I was able to test my theory. Sure enough, I caught little ice pellets in my hand that had been pelting my face for 15 minutes.
After reaching almost 7 miles I decided to keep on running because I felt good and I wanted to see how frozen my shirt could get. This is obviously a stupid idea but the cold was affecting me. The fact that I had just found out, while trying to pull my shirt down, that the bottom of my shirt was frozen,creating a sort of shield around my abdomen also affected my decision.
I decided to run 10 miles, which I have only run once before, in the summer when it was about 85 degrees out. At around 8.5 miles I found the upper part of my shirt, the part across my chest, was also frozen so I now had a sort of shield on my front half. My hair seemed to be covered in ice too or at least had icy pellets spread throughout it. Less than half a mile later, after stepping through multiple puddles that didn't appear to be water, I could feel my shoelaces hitting the top of my shoes. My shoes were soaked but I took this as a sign that my shoelaces had frozen. My shorts didn't freeze though, probably because they were mostly covered by my shirt and constantly rubbing against my running tights.
The last half mile of my run produced no more rain. I was a little disappointed but since I couldn't straighten my arms due to the frozen sleeves, maybe that was a good thing. The sidewalks had become icy and slick but I hadn't noticed because my last 4.5 miles had been ran in the street. After arriving home without falling on the ice, I melted a little while running inside to grab the camera. I checked the temperature quickly and found it was 28 degrees. It had dropped 10 degrees during my run and the clothing I was wearing wasn't acceptable for anything under 35 degrees. The experience was worth it however. I took some photos since I figured this wouldn't happen to me very often while running.
My shoelace is actually frozen in this position.
After I untied my shoelaces they were still frozen.
The loop in my shoelaces is actually hard and wouldn't straighten until it melted.
My shirt is frozen in this position.
It wouldn't stand up on its own because the back isn't frozen. The arms are frozen in that position however.This is what freezing rain does to your clothing.
Those wrinkles in my shirt don't move.The bottom of my frozen shirt.The slightly darker spots are where the ice is.This is one of my favorites because you can really see how the ice froze it.This is my driveway which didn't look like this at all before my run. You can actually see the ice pellets.Sorry for the long post and all the pictures. I just like to show off how dedicated I am.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
WHY I RUN
I have been waiting a long time (as in since October when I last had one of those days) to know the answer to this question and today I figured it out. Yesterday I was asking myself why couldn't I have played a sport with a ball that can be played indoors. Why didn't I take up volleyball, bowling, soccer, or basketball? Why, of all sports, did I have to run? Why do I run? Today I know the answer.
I run because of days like today, where you feel you can go on for forever. I was going to force myself to do 3 but instead I ran 7. Seven whole miles just because I felt like it. It was one of those days you don't want to stop. The days that happen when I allow myself to forget the soreness in my legs, forget the wind and cold, forget everything but running. I forget that I am required to run, that without these runs I won't be able to have more good runs. Instead I focus on the moment, my run, and it no longer is work. It becomes fun and turns into a passion.
I run because I am dedicated. Why else did I run seven miles when it is 17 degrees outside not factoring in the wind chill. When the people don't even bother shoveling their snow for thirty minutes. Days when all you want to do is snuggle under the covers instead of running. But you do it anyways. And sometimes, every once in awhile it doesn't feel like a chore. You are able to enjoy the cold because you know that the people in the cars can only wish to be as dedicated as you. That they might look at you and think you are crazy but deep down they think that being able to do that is amazing. No one else is outside but you, no one bothers to do anything except you which is what makes me dedicated. Running is dedication.
I run because of days like today, where you feel you can go on for forever. I was going to force myself to do 3 but instead I ran 7. Seven whole miles just because I felt like it. It was one of those days you don't want to stop. The days that happen when I allow myself to forget the soreness in my legs, forget the wind and cold, forget everything but running. I forget that I am required to run, that without these runs I won't be able to have more good runs. Instead I focus on the moment, my run, and it no longer is work. It becomes fun and turns into a passion.
I run because I am dedicated. Why else did I run seven miles when it is 17 degrees outside not factoring in the wind chill. When the people don't even bother shoveling their snow for thirty minutes. Days when all you want to do is snuggle under the covers instead of running. But you do it anyways. And sometimes, every once in awhile it doesn't feel like a chore. You are able to enjoy the cold because you know that the people in the cars can only wish to be as dedicated as you. That they might look at you and think you are crazy but deep down they think that being able to do that is amazing. No one else is outside but you, no one bothers to do anything except you which is what makes me dedicated. Running is dedication.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
BRRRRR
I've been running this week, only taking one day off. Thursday I set a new PR on one of my 2 mile routes. Friday I took a break because it was sleeting and I had basically raced myself on Thursday. The past two days I've done 2 miles but it's a little bit different from the beginning of the week. For one thing it's 32 degrees outside and it's been snowing off and on since Friday. During the middle of my run yesterday I started to repeat this quote to myself, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people" by Bill Bowerman. I chanted it to myself when the wind made my cheeks go numb today.
I've ended my first week of training and it's gone pretty well. No major aches or pains and my hamstring feels a lot better. It still feels a little sore when I stretch it sitting down, but when I run it doesn't hurt anymore. The inside of my knees have hurt a little and it makes me feel old, like I've got arthritis or something. It's probably just from starting up running again.
The cold has bothered me more than it usually does this week. I usually love running when it's cold but now I remember all that comes with it. A constantly runny nose, sore throat, chapped lips, dried out hands from not wearing gloves, and always being cold after your run. The chili I'll have for supper might warm me up. I like this better than the 70 degree weather we had earlier in the week though. Except I think I'll miss my running tan that has started to fade. Sure I might have looked dorky wearing flip flops with my white feet but to me, my running tan says dedication.
I was thinking a lot about the upcoming track season during my run today. I've improved a lot over the summer and I think I can be pretty good if I don't hurt myself. One thing I'm going to do different this winter is make sure I get all my miles in. Last winter we had all that ice so I skipped a bunch of days. I'm going to run every day I possibly can, no matter how cold. Ice can be dangerous but I think I will be able to work around it. I'm also going to keep doing my core workouts. I did them during the summer but then I slacked off once xc season started. I'm going to do them all winter so I will be in shape for track. This includes the pushups I've incorporated into my workout. I might actually get arm muscles.
My HOPE sign has yet to go up in my room because I'm trying to figure out where to put it. I love it though, I think it's going to make me faster.
I've ended my first week of training and it's gone pretty well. No major aches or pains and my hamstring feels a lot better. It still feels a little sore when I stretch it sitting down, but when I run it doesn't hurt anymore. The inside of my knees have hurt a little and it makes me feel old, like I've got arthritis or something. It's probably just from starting up running again.
The cold has bothered me more than it usually does this week. I usually love running when it's cold but now I remember all that comes with it. A constantly runny nose, sore throat, chapped lips, dried out hands from not wearing gloves, and always being cold after your run. The chili I'll have for supper might warm me up. I like this better than the 70 degree weather we had earlier in the week though. Except I think I'll miss my running tan that has started to fade. Sure I might have looked dorky wearing flip flops with my white feet but to me, my running tan says dedication.
I was thinking a lot about the upcoming track season during my run today. I've improved a lot over the summer and I think I can be pretty good if I don't hurt myself. One thing I'm going to do different this winter is make sure I get all my miles in. Last winter we had all that ice so I skipped a bunch of days. I'm going to run every day I possibly can, no matter how cold. Ice can be dangerous but I think I will be able to work around it. I'm also going to keep doing my core workouts. I did them during the summer but then I slacked off once xc season started. I'm going to do them all winter so I will be in shape for track. This includes the pushups I've incorporated into my workout. I might actually get arm muscles.
My HOPE sign has yet to go up in my room because I'm trying to figure out where to put it. I love it though, I think it's going to make me faster.
Friday, October 24, 2008
I DID MY BEST
Well, my miracle didn't happen. We didn't make it to state, we got 6th out of 9 teams. I'm not that disappointed but I still am a little. You always have this hope at the back of your mind that you will do whatever you set out to do. What I'm most upset about is that xc is over. Sure, I hate it sometimes but I really love it. I can barely walk right now, my right hamstring hurts so bad, but I'd give almost anything to go to state and continue practice. Right now my life seems empty. A week without running is basically empty. So to make it seem like xc hasn't ended yet, I must do my race report.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
First off, it was a good day for a race. Only 42 degrees, pretty windy (although the wind was mostly gone by the time we had our race), and it was misty with only a little rain as I made my way to the starting line. It had raining before though so the ditch we usually run through twice was now a stream. They had to change the course so we went over another little bridge instead of through the ditch, which adds around 20 seconds to your time. I would rather have run through the ditch, we could have just jumped over the stream. They should let the runner's make these choices, it would have been around 3/4 of a mile with wet spikes which I would willingly go through to get a better time.
We actually warmed up as a team for the first time this year and we had 9 people warming up because, also for the first time this year, we were running a full varsity team (with 2 alternates). We warmed up 50 minutes instead of an hour before, which is what I usually do, because it gives me more time to stretch and do all my stuff. My right ankle was hurting a little bit but my hamstring felt pretty good. I was wearing all my under armour so I wouldn't freeze although I liked the weather. As I walked over to the finish line, it was beginning to rain. But around 3 minutes later it stopped. We did the usual strides but we didn't do a cheer or have a pep talk like the other teams.
So we take the sweats off at the last minute of course and right away the gun goes off. I was going to try to keep track of my teammates so I could try to keep up with them. I was actually trying to pace myself this time, but at the beginning you don't pace yourself. You run with everyone else who has to sprint the first 800m. My first 800m was in 3:07 before I settled into the pace I wanted. I was going to try and run 6:30's throughout which on a normal course would get me around 16:15 but around 16:35 on this course. Before we went over the bridge to get to the other side of the course, we always go through this huge crowd of people. When the race started it seemed like no one was there, and although the crowd was a little smaller it seemed a little louder. After we cross the bridge, we go up a slight hill and there is usually people lining the sides. I kind of like this part, because even though it's a hill, it makes me feel like I'm in the Tour de France riding up a mountain. As I went up that hill, I kept repeating to myself that this might be the most important race I have ever run, so I must run fast now and breathe at the end. It also helped that another coach was screaming at his runners that they weren't going fast enough. Our coach is more supportive during the meets, although he's not always the greatest at practices. My first mile was in 6:30, right on the mark.
I really don't like the middle part of the course. It seems long and it's pretty hilly although it doesn't really look that way. There's a bunch of trees too where people tend to bunch up around. The second mile, my hamstring started to hurt. I had put some Bio Freeze stuff on it so I tried to make it feel better. What really helped me during the second mile was the fact that the guy's team cheered for my by name. They've cheered before but this time they called me by my name which mattered more than the other people cheering for me (we also had more people cheering for us this time). I also passed this girl who I really wanted to beat, we kind of have this friendly rivalry thing going on, so I told myself to beat her. I also kept telling myself that I could rest later. At the 2 mile mark, I didn't look at my watch but a coach yelled out 13:30. I started sprinted around this point.
Around 500m to the finish, I started slowing down a little. This girl I had been running with (from a different team) told me that I could do this, that I could keep up with her. Besides wondering why she would tell an opposing runner this when we are all trying to beat each other so we can go to state, it really inspired me. I immediately sprinted and I tried to keep up with her as long as possible. At about the 400m mark there was a lot of people yelling and cheering. On the left side I could see the finish line and people cheering. I knew that I had to make these last 400m good. Then there was almost nobody and everyone was sprinting. I sprinted the straightaway, but the last 100m I was exhausted. I was running myself into the ground, I wasn't standing tall. It was a weird feeling. Around 10m from the line, me and the girl who talked to me caught a member of the team that runs together. My coach had told me to try and catch these girls and now 3 of us were sprinting for the line. I accidently (and it truly was an accident) elbowed the other girl. The fact that I was sprinting and I was tired was making my form get sloppy. All of a sudden the other girls elbow each other and we all started elbowing each other. The other girls beat me across the line, but I really gave it all. My time was 16:46 which was only 2 seconds faster than last week but they had made the course around 20 seconds longer. I think I could have dealt with wet shoes though to maybe get a new PR. My coach was happy with me and another girl and even though we didn't make it to state I still am proud of my team. I beat the girl I wanted to win against and it helped the fact that I got caught at the finish line. I think I improved a lot mentally and physically in this race though. I'm going to miss xc. I tried my hardest and I did pretty good.
On the plus side, after my race when I got into the car one of my new favorite songs, "Gotta be Somebody" by Nickelback comes on. They always make you feel better.
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