I would like to kick off this monumental moment of 100 posts in my running blog by talking about….spinning.
Yup, last night I went to an hour long spinning class at my air-conditioned gym.
I was struck by how spinning classes are kind of like races. You don’t have a ton of your own space, you can’t really avoid the people all around you, and you have to maintain your own pace, form, and speed while looking at everyone else’s efforts. I’m also always reminded both in races and in group exercise classes that I can’t judge people by their shape. I’ve had bigger people pass me in races and last night I saw larger women outlast the skinny chick who seemed to be giving it her all but had to leave 15 minutes before the class ended. Did she work harder? That I can’t answer, but she certainly didn’t work longer.
I have to admit that sometimes I really do want to judge people by their size. Then I’m always reminded of the very inspiring movie classic, Mean Girls (yes, I am being sarcastic, I know it’s not a classic). In the end, our heroine Lindsay Lohan learns that it’s not about what people look like, it’s what’s going on INSIDE. And the truth is that you really can’t tell what people are capable of just by looking at them. We need to give everyone in every race the same benefit and the same support.
LIFE LESSON LEARNED. Kind of. At least I can put it into words.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Things You See
It's amazing what you can see on a run. Especially a three hour run.
In general, I think I've seen a lot of DC that most people don't get to see. I get to see a lot of things in general that most people don't get to see. I've witnessed people in love, people crying, people angry at each other, people smiling with their families. I've seen more nature than I ever thought possible in a city, including:
1) foxes
2) raccoons
3) a deer that scared the HECK out of me
4) turtles
5) squirrel conventions
I've seen the sun rise over our nation's Capitol and I've seen rain fall like it would never stop. Running has opened my eyes to a world that I never knew was there and I'm so amazed every time that I get out at what the world can hold.
In general, I think I've seen a lot of DC that most people don't get to see. I get to see a lot of things in general that most people don't get to see. I've witnessed people in love, people crying, people angry at each other, people smiling with their families. I've seen more nature than I ever thought possible in a city, including:
1) foxes
2) raccoons
3) a deer that scared the HECK out of me
4) turtles
5) squirrel conventions
I've seen the sun rise over our nation's Capitol and I've seen rain fall like it would never stop. Running has opened my eyes to a world that I never knew was there and I'm so amazed every time that I get out at what the world can hold.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Tourists
This weekend, I did close to 30 miles. 20 on Saturday and about 7.5 on Sunday. My body is quite fine and I wish that I had given myself the chance to go all the way to 30. I think I'll definitely be in pain during the 24 hour race, but hopefully I'll be able to do a substantial amount of mileage.
Did I mention that I finally got a new fuel belt? I was out running at least a month ago with my old one when it suddenly just completely fell apart on me. It was a very sad day, most of all because I had to abandon the idea of a long run and head home. But now it has been replaced with a new one and it is PINK. Even the water bottles have pink lids. How can I complain when I have a pink fuel belt? And it seems to be less prone to falling apart so I am all set.
I also got a new pair of running shoes last week (Nike of course) and tried out a new flavor of GU - vanilla. I was kind of nervous about it, but it ended up being pretty good. However, with the heat lately, I've been considering switching to the chews/chomps/whatever. They're fruit flavored and perhaps slightly more refreshing...however, I've also been running with Gatorade because I've been too lazy to drag it home from the store. When I have fruity Gatorade, the fruit chomps are overwhelming and I like to stick to the ice cream flavors of GU.
Isn't it amazing that I can talk about GU and chomps and you're still reading my blog?
During my long run on Saturday, I was thinking about several things. But I was running in the heat of day and therefore ran into a lot of tourists (despite designing my run to be in the least tourist-dense but still safe areas) and was plagued by a horrible nemesis: SMOKE. People walking around, smoking their cigars, smoking their cigarettes. Puff, puff, puff. HACK. Whenever I see someone smoking, I want to take their cigar/ette and stamp it out right in front of them. And scold them. Harshly. And perhaps punch them in the face (ok ok we know I'd never do that). Especially young people. Old people, ok, I get it, you didn't know the risks when you started. But young people? Seriously? I don't get how it can seem like a good idea in 90 degree weather to light something on fire, stick it in your mouth, and inhale the grossness that comes out.
Of course, they probably don't see how it could be a good idea to run 20 miles in 90 degree weather....
However, this still does not trump my #1 pet peeve of tourists. They will always, ALWAYS walk 5 abreast on the paths around DC and ALWAYS stare blankly at me as I approach them. And continue to watch me as I stumble over tree roots, dog poo, and cars because they REFUSE TO MOVE OVER. If you were in Spain for the running of the bulls, you'd move over right? I'm going to start wearing bull horns. Maybe then they'll get the picture.
Did I mention that I finally got a new fuel belt? I was out running at least a month ago with my old one when it suddenly just completely fell apart on me. It was a very sad day, most of all because I had to abandon the idea of a long run and head home. But now it has been replaced with a new one and it is PINK. Even the water bottles have pink lids. How can I complain when I have a pink fuel belt? And it seems to be less prone to falling apart so I am all set.
I also got a new pair of running shoes last week (Nike of course) and tried out a new flavor of GU - vanilla. I was kind of nervous about it, but it ended up being pretty good. However, with the heat lately, I've been considering switching to the chews/chomps/whatever. They're fruit flavored and perhaps slightly more refreshing...however, I've also been running with Gatorade because I've been too lazy to drag it home from the store. When I have fruity Gatorade, the fruit chomps are overwhelming and I like to stick to the ice cream flavors of GU.
Isn't it amazing that I can talk about GU and chomps and you're still reading my blog?
During my long run on Saturday, I was thinking about several things. But I was running in the heat of day and therefore ran into a lot of tourists (despite designing my run to be in the least tourist-dense but still safe areas) and was plagued by a horrible nemesis: SMOKE. People walking around, smoking their cigars, smoking their cigarettes. Puff, puff, puff. HACK. Whenever I see someone smoking, I want to take their cigar/ette and stamp it out right in front of them. And scold them. Harshly. And perhaps punch them in the face (ok ok we know I'd never do that). Especially young people. Old people, ok, I get it, you didn't know the risks when you started. But young people? Seriously? I don't get how it can seem like a good idea in 90 degree weather to light something on fire, stick it in your mouth, and inhale the grossness that comes out.
Of course, they probably don't see how it could be a good idea to run 20 miles in 90 degree weather....
However, this still does not trump my #1 pet peeve of tourists. They will always, ALWAYS walk 5 abreast on the paths around DC and ALWAYS stare blankly at me as I approach them. And continue to watch me as I stumble over tree roots, dog poo, and cars because they REFUSE TO MOVE OVER. If you were in Spain for the running of the bulls, you'd move over right? I'm going to start wearing bull horns. Maybe then they'll get the picture.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
For Reals, People
Boy, what a sloppy bag of sappy emotion I've been! Those last two blog posts, whoo! Did you make it through ok? Did I get some of the snot of my emotional outburst on you? Wipe it off, you'll be fine, and let's freaking talk about RUNNING here folks.
Yesterday I went out for a run and was really hoping to just go for an easy 4-5 miles. That turned into an easy 8 miles, which was just wonderful. I love it when you feel like you can just go on forever. I got pretty losy but luckily not lost enough to end up in Maryland or anything and I did run into a nice fellow who directed me in the right direction. It's fun to get lost, even in a city that you think you know. It was absolutely PERFECT weather and I was feeling fabulous. Lately I'd been feeling like running was catching up with me and I'd have to take a break - then I went out last night and rediscovered the fire!
Oh it is SO back on, this running biz-nas!
Yesterday I went out for a run and was really hoping to just go for an easy 4-5 miles. That turned into an easy 8 miles, which was just wonderful. I love it when you feel like you can just go on forever. I got pretty losy but luckily not lost enough to end up in Maryland or anything and I did run into a nice fellow who directed me in the right direction. It's fun to get lost, even in a city that you think you know. It was absolutely PERFECT weather and I was feeling fabulous. Lately I'd been feeling like running was catching up with me and I'd have to take a break - then I went out last night and rediscovered the fire!
Oh it is SO back on, this running biz-nas!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Why run?
When I tell people that I run marathons, a lot of the time they don’t understand why. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to people and quite honestly, sometimes when I think about it, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me either. I want to do a lot of things in my life, I want to travel and save the world and be a hero. I want to help people and improve their lives. Training for a marathon means that I spend a lot of my time…running. Running around in DC with headphones in, completely oblivious to the rest of the world, in anti-social, hard-core runner mode, trying to escape the thoughts that mess with my head. This is not very conducive to saving the world, no matter how you spin it.
It’s been 9 days since I lost my grandpa. He was 91 and finally, on May 29, was ready to go home to Heaven. It’s been hard to try to put into words how I feel. He was, to me, more than anything, just a grandpa, a man who spoiled me and loved me. But after he died, I suddenly realized how much more he was. I always knew his history, but seeing it in writing in an obituary, made me realize how overwhelming his presence in the world was. My grandpa was, in the words of my friend GutsyGeise, a big deal.
Realizing that I have that big deal stuff in my blood sometimes makes me feel pressure to be as great of a person as he was. It’s not bad, this pressure, but it kind of makes me wonder why I’m not out there, doing more and accomplishing great things. Sometimes, much to my dismay, running seems like a colossal waste of time.
And then what happens is that I skip running to do great things and end up watching tv or taking bubble baths, which is all very nice at the time, but really, an even bigger waste of time. Running might be a silly side hobby but it keeps me focused in my life. I can’t tell you how annoyingly often I find myself in a situation at work, personally, and suddenly compare it to a long-distance run. Running has taught me self-discipline, focus, and humiliation. I sometimes forget the lessons that I learn on the road.
I think my grandpa would be proud that I ran 20 miles this weekend. I think that he’d be proud of me for doing a marathon in under 4 hours and I think he’ll be proud of me when I qualify for Boston. As stupid as it might seem to an outsider, I really do think that I’m changing the world when I go out and run, because I’m changing my own world and isn’t that where all change starts?
It’s been 9 days since I lost my grandpa. He was 91 and finally, on May 29, was ready to go home to Heaven. It’s been hard to try to put into words how I feel. He was, to me, more than anything, just a grandpa, a man who spoiled me and loved me. But after he died, I suddenly realized how much more he was. I always knew his history, but seeing it in writing in an obituary, made me realize how overwhelming his presence in the world was. My grandpa was, in the words of my friend GutsyGeise, a big deal.
Realizing that I have that big deal stuff in my blood sometimes makes me feel pressure to be as great of a person as he was. It’s not bad, this pressure, but it kind of makes me wonder why I’m not out there, doing more and accomplishing great things. Sometimes, much to my dismay, running seems like a colossal waste of time.
And then what happens is that I skip running to do great things and end up watching tv or taking bubble baths, which is all very nice at the time, but really, an even bigger waste of time. Running might be a silly side hobby but it keeps me focused in my life. I can’t tell you how annoyingly often I find myself in a situation at work, personally, and suddenly compare it to a long-distance run. Running has taught me self-discipline, focus, and humiliation. I sometimes forget the lessons that I learn on the road.
I think my grandpa would be proud that I ran 20 miles this weekend. I think that he’d be proud of me for doing a marathon in under 4 hours and I think he’ll be proud of me when I qualify for Boston. As stupid as it might seem to an outsider, I really do think that I’m changing the world when I go out and run, because I’m changing my own world and isn’t that where all change starts?
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