I know there’s no shame in taking a quick stop while you’re running to catch your breath. I mean it is better than the alternatives: hyperventilating, passing out, death. But I do have to say that nothing feels better to me than my long runs where I don’t stop until the end and even then I feel like I could keep going. There’s such a sense of accomplishment and, dare I say it, pride. I’d feel bad saying this if I knew I didn’t have the days where I stop multiple times during a run just because it isn’t the day for that kind of run. I thought I was going to pass out (literally) a few days ago when I got to the top of the hill ‘o hell. (Side note: I have discovered the hill ‘o hell has a giant friend…or rather a mother that resides between Amy’s and my residences. More to come.) I felt like one of those contestants on The Biggest Loser when they’re screaming “I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe! I’m going to fall!” But what’s special about their stories is yes, sometimes they really do fall. They aren’t playing. More often than not, though, they are able to finish what they set out to do (or were told to do in this case). Let it be said that I often feel like a contestant on The Biggest Loser. Only it’s a lot harder when you’re by yourself because you’re the one doing all the work AND pushing yourself to get it done at the same time. In the moment I really hate it some days because most people have an encourager nearby—someone working out with them, a spouse, a roommate, etc. Not to knock my friends because they are amazing, but they can’t be with me all the time. (Which I’m sure some are grateful for!) I’ve learned quickly though that the closer victory is to your heart then the sweeter it is when you realize you’ve won/finished/completed/etc/etc. It’s even better when that victory feels so far away and you could never do it alone, but you are so overcome that it’s there before you could beg for its appearance one more time. These deep thoughts brought to you by my running and watching ridiculous reality television shows. Who knew.
Another update on the EIR and rhinorrhea. Zyrtec is proving to be a contender in solving this issue only it seems to give out around mile 3. I’m not sure if it’s the Zyrtec calling it quits, the heat getting hotter outside, my body temperature rising or a combination of all the above. Probably D, all of the above. Regardless of all this, it does seem to lessen the flow of things and make it more bearable. I’ve thought about taking Mucinex, but there are too many bad repercussion possibilities. I don’t know if you, the reader, have had any experiences with Mucinex and if you have you would definitely remember them. Being a new teacher and working with my clientele (4 and 5 year olds) I get sick more often than I’d like to. Therefore, when anything on my face is running (nose, eyes, ears, anything else that can run) I take Mucinex. That mess should be illegal in at least 26 states. It dries up anything you’ve got up there. Wonderful. But it also makes you feel like you could purify the entire Atlantic Ocean and drink it within about an hour. Thirsty isn’t even the word, folks. Therefore, if I were to take Mucinex and run, I do believe I would die of dehydration before I even reached the corner to cross the street. Guess I’ll stick to the Zyrtec. I’m still working on getting it in an hour before running commences. Fail.
I suppose it’s about time I explained the title of this post. Well, I was at camp a few weeks ago and starting getting some mad chapped lips. I had left both tubes of my Burt’s Bees at home and didn’t even have lip gloss in sight. Again, fail. A few of the college staff girls needed to go to Wal-Mart to pick up some odds and ends before the campers arrived and I saw this as prime opportunity to fix my situation. The other girls went into Wal-Mart and I decided I needed to go into the Dollar Tree (where everything’s a dollar!) to pick up something I should’ve bought a few days prior when I saw it. Anyway, I was checking out in sort of a hurry because I still needed to run to Wal-Mart to get my chapstick. That was, after all, the purpose of my trip. As I’m standing in line at the Dollar Tree and examining the products they keep by the register (small first aid kit, gum, pregnancy test, etc.) I grab some Raspberry Lemonade Blistex that almost looks like it’s throwing itself at me and my dry set of smackers. Mind you, I’m a big advocate for Burt’s Beeswax lip balm, but I was desperate. Well, since I’ve been home I have continued to use the Raspberry Lemonade chapstick because my lips get dry from breathing in and out while I run (or during any other part of the day for that matter.) This stuff is amazing! It stays on through my entire run and then some. And it was only, you got it, $1. I still love my Burt’s Bees, but I can’t deny the awesomeness of the Raspberry Lemonade Blistex. Did I mention it smells good, too?
Today’s deep thought: Could you describe dry, chapped lips also as being chafed? Hmm…
No stats today. I re-calibrated my Nike iPod sensor for a mile in hopes it will be closer to my actual distance and pace. But for all you number junkies, I ran about 3.5 miles in about 36 minutes.
The Runner
When a suitcase doesn't get you where you wanna go, just pick up your tennis shoes and start running.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Get by with a little help from my friends
I typically run alone simply because it’s easier. I don’t have to wait on anyone, I can stop and go whenever I please and I don’t have to wait for a symbiotic relationship between two life schedules to happen. Also, selfishly, I don’t feel like I have to keep up with anyone else. However, I do still enjoy running with good friends. I don’t suggest trying to run with me if your goal is to beat me or show me up. I may try and trip you. This morning I went running with my friend Amy who has been out of town for the past 3 weeks on various vacations with her family. I’ve missed her terribly as she lives around the corner from me (maybe 3/10 of a mile away) and we talk pretty regularly. Amy and I have a strange relationship that I don’t question often as it becomes complicated in the same way the Trinity does for me. Lots of different relationships, all important in their existence and function, but you can never really explain it. Over the past year Amy has played roles of friend, sister, mom, job coach, therapist and I’m sure there are more I could add to the list. She’s like a chameleon in life because she can fit in to any situation and be just as happy. I suggest you all find a chameleon friend if you don’t already have one. They’re amazing.
Anyway, Amy and I went running this morning at 7:30 (yawn). The original plan was for 8, but due to one of my little brothers (one of her twins) yakking last night she requested we change it to 7:30. Not too much to ask plus it would hold me accountable to actually get up before 9. If I wait to run in the afternoon these days it has to be at the gym, but if I get myself up early enough I can still run outside since the temps don’t reach 80 until about 9am. I got up, no problem; because I think my body is still somewhat conditioned to get up early for school. Amy hadn’t run in a while since she’s been out of town, but she’s taller than me, in fantastic shape and is a member of the local running club. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little fearful. I had a little bit of a head start on her as I walked from my apartment to her house and she still needed to warm up so we walked a little bit, she updated me on the vomit-acious state of her household and I listened, thankful I didn’t have whatever they did. While walking I said to Amy, “Your strides are so much longer than mine. I feel like it takes 2 of mine to keep up with yours!” Mind you, we’re still walking at this point. So she turns to me and says the worst words I can imagine while exercising with somebody else, “Oh, well, I can slow down a little bit for you. It’s totally fine.” No. No, no, no, no, no. NO! I don’t want you to slow down for me. I want my tail to pick up the pace to keep up with you. Sigh. I thought the running was going to be my doom.
Amy had to be back by 8 to make sure her house wasn’t covered in an encore of last night’s dinner so we didn’t go too far. We didn’t make it to the hill ‘o hell which I think we were both grateful for. Her watch is super awesome and said we did a little less than a mile and a half and our average pace was 11:20. It told the truth (contrary to Vernon), but also calculated in our pre-walk leading up the run so I’d put us at about a 10 minute mile since we were out about 15 minutes. It was the first run where I didn’t feel like I had to keep up with someone else, but rather we were running together. I could just do what I set out to do…run. It was actually nice having Amy there because I had somebody to push me without saying or doing anything (other than the small incident when we were warm-up walking). To me, that’s what a great friend does. A great friend challenges you and pushes you to do better without having to say anything or very little anyway. A great friend will listen to you always and offer advice only when seen fit. A great friend will get up and run with you the day after they get back from spending 18 nights away from their home regardless of any GI problems that household may be undergoing.
So here’s to a nice morning run with a great friend. Now to just work on getting my stumpy legs to take longer strides…or at least make it cool to look like the energizer bunny while running.
Anyway, Amy and I went running this morning at 7:30 (yawn). The original plan was for 8, but due to one of my little brothers (one of her twins) yakking last night she requested we change it to 7:30. Not too much to ask plus it would hold me accountable to actually get up before 9. If I wait to run in the afternoon these days it has to be at the gym, but if I get myself up early enough I can still run outside since the temps don’t reach 80 until about 9am. I got up, no problem; because I think my body is still somewhat conditioned to get up early for school. Amy hadn’t run in a while since she’s been out of town, but she’s taller than me, in fantastic shape and is a member of the local running club. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little fearful. I had a little bit of a head start on her as I walked from my apartment to her house and she still needed to warm up so we walked a little bit, she updated me on the vomit-acious state of her household and I listened, thankful I didn’t have whatever they did. While walking I said to Amy, “Your strides are so much longer than mine. I feel like it takes 2 of mine to keep up with yours!” Mind you, we’re still walking at this point. So she turns to me and says the worst words I can imagine while exercising with somebody else, “Oh, well, I can slow down a little bit for you. It’s totally fine.” No. No, no, no, no, no. NO! I don’t want you to slow down for me. I want my tail to pick up the pace to keep up with you. Sigh. I thought the running was going to be my doom.
Amy had to be back by 8 to make sure her house wasn’t covered in an encore of last night’s dinner so we didn’t go too far. We didn’t make it to the hill ‘o hell which I think we were both grateful for. Her watch is super awesome and said we did a little less than a mile and a half and our average pace was 11:20. It told the truth (contrary to Vernon), but also calculated in our pre-walk leading up the run so I’d put us at about a 10 minute mile since we were out about 15 minutes. It was the first run where I didn’t feel like I had to keep up with someone else, but rather we were running together. I could just do what I set out to do…run. It was actually nice having Amy there because I had somebody to push me without saying or doing anything (other than the small incident when we were warm-up walking). To me, that’s what a great friend does. A great friend challenges you and pushes you to do better without having to say anything or very little anyway. A great friend will listen to you always and offer advice only when seen fit. A great friend will get up and run with you the day after they get back from spending 18 nights away from their home regardless of any GI problems that household may be undergoing.
So here’s to a nice morning run with a great friend. Now to just work on getting my stumpy legs to take longer strides…or at least make it cool to look like the energizer bunny while running.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Tread of Lies
Summer has definitely come in full swing and the rays are hard to miss. The mere thought of going outside makes me glisten a little and feel the urge to sun block any body part that may become exposed to this giant ball of fire. It’s hot. And you know it’s hot when you get in your car to drive to the gym and it says 99. You know it’s disgustingly and offensively hot when 20ish minutes later you’re parking at the gym and your car says 102. Ugh. Maybe Fall will not be as abusive during its 3 month visit this year. Especially in the beginning of October, please.
Since it has been so hot I’ve taken to running at the gym. I’ve had a membership at the YMCA for a few months now in hopes it would keep me motivated to work out or at least guilty enough to use the membership so I don’t waste the money. Whatever the reason, the push still exists. When I first joined the Y I was excited. I loved pulling the “princess workout” card that came fully equipped with treadmills, air conditioning and the ability to watch & listen to my favorite TV shows while I worked out. It seemed about the most comfortable conditions to work out in. A ground that moved for me while I ran. Cool air that continually surrounded me and blew in my face. Old episodes of Friends and America’s Next Top Model playing for me to gawk at while keeping my body moving. It was about as close to the laziest work out I could imagine and I loved it at the time.
As much as I hate the giant hills and blazing sun when running outside, the thought of working out at the Y has lost its appeal. The glory that once surrounded it has faded. I love running outside. There’s so much to take in and I think I get caught up in the craziness of life and forget what’s real in the world. Outside running allows me to see lots of different people. People with dogs. People without dogs. Couples walking. Old people running. This will sound very silly, but the smells are nothing to miss out on, either. Fresh cut grass on a Saturday morning. Car exhaust coming from some silly driver who sped by and I get a good laugh out of. The best so far as been when I reached the top of the beastly hill one day. I caught a huge whiff of Bounce sheets coming from the dryer vent of somebody’s house on the corner. It was awesome and, admittedly, I ran a little slower to sniff a little more. Nothing like fresh smelling laundry, folks. Especially when you’re running and feel like you need to safety pin about 50 of those things to your body just so you don’t injure anyone with your funk. But that’s beside the point. I have been enlightened to the world of running outside in a cute little community with housing developments, sights and smells that far outweigh the Americanized benefits of the “princess workout.”
Against my own free will (literally, or I’d die) I’ve been running at the Y on the treadmill. The treadmill sucks. Yes, it moves for you and yes, it can set a pace for you, but it lies. My Nike iPod running chip and the treadmill are definitely at odds. When I’m running an 11 minute mile on the treadmill (at a 5.5) my iPod claims it’s a 9 minute mile. Uhhh, what? I drove the distance today and my iPod chip is only off by about .2 miles. I’m okay with that. Sure, it’ll make a difference in the long run, but if I’m running 5 miles then what’s one extra to compensate for some inaccuracies? I’m not okay with feeling like I’m about to die on the treadmill only to be told I’m running a flippin’ 11 minute mile. Lies. All lies. I feel like I’m flying on the treadmill at 5.5 and that if I ran any faster my legs would surely fly out from beneath me and I’d take off, literally, flying. Maybe I’m just slower than I thought, but it is quite disappointing to have the treadmill drop a big one on what your iPod tells you when it’s such good news. I may be okay with a compromise here—a 10 minute mile was my goal anyway. Is it legal to merge the two results and just call it a day? Or I may just believe the iPod. Vernon (that’s my iPod) has never wronged me before. The treadmill, however, and I are still at odds.
In other news, I think I’ve hit my first plateau. I’ve been running 2-3 miles for speed and anywhere from 3-5 for distance. I need to start upping the ante here if I have any hope of making it to 13 miles by October. My goal is really to run 15 before the big race just so I don’t psych myself out the day of knowing that 13 is all I have in me. I want to be able to enjoy running across the finish line…not sounding like a smoker who is about to need an oxygen tank to wheel behind them. And, oh, update on the EIR and rhinorrhea: the Zyrtec does, in fact, reduce effects of rhinorrhea when exercising. I can’t say it completely stops the flow of things, but it does get it under control somewhat. I still have yet to take it a full hour before exercising so this information may be a little skewed. More updates will follow as my memory hopefully increases and I can remember to take the Zyrtec more than 40 minutes before running. I will conquer the rhinorrhea and be a survivor.
Today’s deep thoughts while running: Find inventor of the treadmill. Shake their hand then immediately punch them in the face 11 times…one for each minute of the mile they claim it takes me to run in.
Today’s Stats (according to the iPod, of course!): 2.45 miles, 21.19 minutes, 0 walking breaks.
Since it has been so hot I’ve taken to running at the gym. I’ve had a membership at the YMCA for a few months now in hopes it would keep me motivated to work out or at least guilty enough to use the membership so I don’t waste the money. Whatever the reason, the push still exists. When I first joined the Y I was excited. I loved pulling the “princess workout” card that came fully equipped with treadmills, air conditioning and the ability to watch & listen to my favorite TV shows while I worked out. It seemed about the most comfortable conditions to work out in. A ground that moved for me while I ran. Cool air that continually surrounded me and blew in my face. Old episodes of Friends and America’s Next Top Model playing for me to gawk at while keeping my body moving. It was about as close to the laziest work out I could imagine and I loved it at the time.
As much as I hate the giant hills and blazing sun when running outside, the thought of working out at the Y has lost its appeal. The glory that once surrounded it has faded. I love running outside. There’s so much to take in and I think I get caught up in the craziness of life and forget what’s real in the world. Outside running allows me to see lots of different people. People with dogs. People without dogs. Couples walking. Old people running. This will sound very silly, but the smells are nothing to miss out on, either. Fresh cut grass on a Saturday morning. Car exhaust coming from some silly driver who sped by and I get a good laugh out of. The best so far as been when I reached the top of the beastly hill one day. I caught a huge whiff of Bounce sheets coming from the dryer vent of somebody’s house on the corner. It was awesome and, admittedly, I ran a little slower to sniff a little more. Nothing like fresh smelling laundry, folks. Especially when you’re running and feel like you need to safety pin about 50 of those things to your body just so you don’t injure anyone with your funk. But that’s beside the point. I have been enlightened to the world of running outside in a cute little community with housing developments, sights and smells that far outweigh the Americanized benefits of the “princess workout.”
Against my own free will (literally, or I’d die) I’ve been running at the Y on the treadmill. The treadmill sucks. Yes, it moves for you and yes, it can set a pace for you, but it lies. My Nike iPod running chip and the treadmill are definitely at odds. When I’m running an 11 minute mile on the treadmill (at a 5.5) my iPod claims it’s a 9 minute mile. Uhhh, what? I drove the distance today and my iPod chip is only off by about .2 miles. I’m okay with that. Sure, it’ll make a difference in the long run, but if I’m running 5 miles then what’s one extra to compensate for some inaccuracies? I’m not okay with feeling like I’m about to die on the treadmill only to be told I’m running a flippin’ 11 minute mile. Lies. All lies. I feel like I’m flying on the treadmill at 5.5 and that if I ran any faster my legs would surely fly out from beneath me and I’d take off, literally, flying. Maybe I’m just slower than I thought, but it is quite disappointing to have the treadmill drop a big one on what your iPod tells you when it’s such good news. I may be okay with a compromise here—a 10 minute mile was my goal anyway. Is it legal to merge the two results and just call it a day? Or I may just believe the iPod. Vernon (that’s my iPod) has never wronged me before. The treadmill, however, and I are still at odds.
In other news, I think I’ve hit my first plateau. I’ve been running 2-3 miles for speed and anywhere from 3-5 for distance. I need to start upping the ante here if I have any hope of making it to 13 miles by October. My goal is really to run 15 before the big race just so I don’t psych myself out the day of knowing that 13 is all I have in me. I want to be able to enjoy running across the finish line…not sounding like a smoker who is about to need an oxygen tank to wheel behind them. And, oh, update on the EIR and rhinorrhea: the Zyrtec does, in fact, reduce effects of rhinorrhea when exercising. I can’t say it completely stops the flow of things, but it does get it under control somewhat. I still have yet to take it a full hour before exercising so this information may be a little skewed. More updates will follow as my memory hopefully increases and I can remember to take the Zyrtec more than 40 minutes before running. I will conquer the rhinorrhea and be a survivor.
Today’s deep thoughts while running: Find inventor of the treadmill. Shake their hand then immediately punch them in the face 11 times…one for each minute of the mile they claim it takes me to run in.
Today’s Stats (according to the iPod, of course!): 2.45 miles, 21.19 minutes, 0 walking breaks.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Breaks are for Sissies
Well, that’s the way I instinctively think anyway. I think we’re conditioned as humans, nay Americans, to always be on the go. Time unspent is time wasted. Time is money. We’re not getting any younger. I know it’s funny to hear a runner say this, but why are we always rushing everywhere to get everything done? Why does 24 hours in a day never seem like enough? Do we really get that much more done rushing? I don’t know about you, the reader, but I know when I rush I feel like I, consequently, get less done because of all the errors I make and I’m distracted by the other 5,000 thoughts going through my head at the same time. It seems more difficult to compartmentalize each individual task needing to be done along with the task at hand and then everything just becomes one big gumbo-like stew of everything…and it’s not a good stew. It’s like you just emptied the contents of the fridge and put it all on high.
It has been so hard for me, from a running perspective, to respectfully take a day off. Every training manual I’ve reviewed and perused through always has at least 1 or 2 days designated as “rest” or “off” days. Leave it to me, and most of the country, to think, “WHAT?!?! 7 days in a week and you want me to take a whole one off to ‘rest’? And what’s more, you suggest that more often than not I take 2 days off? Somebody needs to get their act and head together. What a waste.” I’m the same with stretching. I have to, literally, force myself to do a mere 2 minutes of stretches before and after running. Though I’ve read about the value of both stretching and resting I still fight it like a toddler when it’s time to sleep. If I weren’t going through my quarter life crisis I may, in fact, kick and scream when it came time to stretch and rest, but luckily it has come at the perfect time.
As I write this I am sitting on a friend’s couch at a 4th of July gathering with no real plan in mind. (I’m not being anti-social. They’re all at the pool and I was in a mad dash to make it to work on time today so I half forgot/half rushed too much and didn’t grab my suit. Please tell me you’re laughing at the irony of all this.) As excited as I am to have good food, good conversation and good social time with everyone, it is still difficult for me to sit and just be. I’ve got laundry that is crying to be done. I have dishes that are longing for the dishwasher. My vacuum cleaner is about to plug itself in so it can eat some unnecessary yuck off my carpet. Teacher workdays start in 2 weeks and I have not lifted a single finger nor updated and created version 2.0 of anything from last year. I didn’t run today because it was my “off” day. Ridiculous. Well, so my brain wants to think. I am combating these feelings of ridiculousness and lies that breaks are for sissies with truths of rest and what it really is. Rest is not laziness or a lack of motivation. Though “rest” really means, “a bodily state characterized by minimal function and metabolic activities”, “rest” also means “freedom from activity or labor; a peace of mind or spirit.” (Cheers, Merriam-Webster!) Anyone else catch that and cringe a little due to an inaccurate perception? I did. Guilty. Makes me remember those days in college where I didn’t read a multiple choice question all the way and picked an answer I thought was right because I jumped the gun. I thought I already knew it. Since rest, by definition, brings freedom and peace then it cannot possibly bring stress when viewed correctly. So resting isn’t the problem. The problem is the clouded vision I am using to view rest. Yes, 1-800-CONTACTS, I’d like a rush on those extra strength corrective lenses, please.
Going back to running, since this is my running blog, rest days are not completely optional. If I want to maintain strength, stamina and a love for running I must remind myself of the freedom I find in the goal and the peace I need to reach it. This all brought by something as simple as rest. I promise this wasn’t planned in lieu of the 4th…when I say everything is honest and raw I really mean it. I sat down on the couch about 30 minutes ago and started writing this. Now I feel like its time for a nap. Or a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll. There’s nothing more American. ☺
Today’s Stats: Crazy, rushed, non-stop American lifestyle, .5 (I did forget my suit as a result!). Being enlightened/reminded to what rest really is and it’s necessity in life, 1. Nap time, watch the blog for end result and highlights.
It has been so hard for me, from a running perspective, to respectfully take a day off. Every training manual I’ve reviewed and perused through always has at least 1 or 2 days designated as “rest” or “off” days. Leave it to me, and most of the country, to think, “WHAT?!?! 7 days in a week and you want me to take a whole one off to ‘rest’? And what’s more, you suggest that more often than not I take 2 days off? Somebody needs to get their act and head together. What a waste.” I’m the same with stretching. I have to, literally, force myself to do a mere 2 minutes of stretches before and after running. Though I’ve read about the value of both stretching and resting I still fight it like a toddler when it’s time to sleep. If I weren’t going through my quarter life crisis I may, in fact, kick and scream when it came time to stretch and rest, but luckily it has come at the perfect time.
As I write this I am sitting on a friend’s couch at a 4th of July gathering with no real plan in mind. (I’m not being anti-social. They’re all at the pool and I was in a mad dash to make it to work on time today so I half forgot/half rushed too much and didn’t grab my suit. Please tell me you’re laughing at the irony of all this.) As excited as I am to have good food, good conversation and good social time with everyone, it is still difficult for me to sit and just be. I’ve got laundry that is crying to be done. I have dishes that are longing for the dishwasher. My vacuum cleaner is about to plug itself in so it can eat some unnecessary yuck off my carpet. Teacher workdays start in 2 weeks and I have not lifted a single finger nor updated and created version 2.0 of anything from last year. I didn’t run today because it was my “off” day. Ridiculous. Well, so my brain wants to think. I am combating these feelings of ridiculousness and lies that breaks are for sissies with truths of rest and what it really is. Rest is not laziness or a lack of motivation. Though “rest” really means, “a bodily state characterized by minimal function and metabolic activities”, “rest” also means “freedom from activity or labor; a peace of mind or spirit.” (Cheers, Merriam-Webster!) Anyone else catch that and cringe a little due to an inaccurate perception? I did. Guilty. Makes me remember those days in college where I didn’t read a multiple choice question all the way and picked an answer I thought was right because I jumped the gun. I thought I already knew it. Since rest, by definition, brings freedom and peace then it cannot possibly bring stress when viewed correctly. So resting isn’t the problem. The problem is the clouded vision I am using to view rest. Yes, 1-800-CONTACTS, I’d like a rush on those extra strength corrective lenses, please.
Going back to running, since this is my running blog, rest days are not completely optional. If I want to maintain strength, stamina and a love for running I must remind myself of the freedom I find in the goal and the peace I need to reach it. This all brought by something as simple as rest. I promise this wasn’t planned in lieu of the 4th…when I say everything is honest and raw I really mean it. I sat down on the couch about 30 minutes ago and started writing this. Now I feel like its time for a nap. Or a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll. There’s nothing more American. ☺
Today’s Stats: Crazy, rushed, non-stop American lifestyle, .5 (I did forget my suit as a result!). Being enlightened/reminded to what rest really is and it’s necessity in life, 1. Nap time, watch the blog for end result and highlights.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
A Saturday Morning Run with Asafa Powell
Before you Google him like I’m sure you were tempted to Google EIR and rhinorrhea yesterday, Asafa Powell is one of Jamaica’s fastest sprinters and has competed in multiple Olympic Games. This past round he only finished fifth…pity. I’m pretty sure he was running next to me today in spirit because I felt like I was booking it and not tiring as quickly. Maybe it was because it was about 5 degrees cooler outside today. Maybe it was because I went in knowing I was going to work on speed vs. endurance. Maybe, just maybe it was because I had originally intended on avoiding the hill ‘o hell today. Whatever the reason, my run was amazing. Stellar, really. I felt good and I took a Zyrtec about 20-30 minutes before I ran so I didn’t feel the rhinorrhea was as debilitating. (Hopefully it really works and wasn’t just a one day, psychological solution.) It wasn’t the longest run ever. It was less than 3 miles. I’ve done that a bunch of times. For some reason this one felt different. Less burdensome, more empowering.
I’m going to get a little deep today so if you strongly prefer all the humor and are adverse to “real” talk, you may want to consider flipping to one of your other blogs you keep up with. The true theme of my half-marathon journey is “Undignified.” I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t for spiritual growth reasons, but I’d also be lying if I said it wasn’t for personal goal reasons. The literal definition of “undignified” is: lacking in or damaging to dignity. Synonyms of this word can be discomposed, inelegant, unseemly, inappropriate, unsuitable, improper, unbecoming, or unrefined. (Thanks, thefreedictionary.com!) Now, reading all that you would never assume it’d be something anyone would desire to strive for. Unless it is attention-seeking behavior, no one ever thinks it awesome to be any of those things. We always want to fit in and just slide through life unnoticed. Many times we’re ashamed to put ourselves out there for fear of rejection. Everyone wants to seem dignified, having it all together and feeling comfortable. Well, I’m tired of it, personally. Why do I need to work so hard to impress the person to the right of me whose opinion shouldn’t really dictate my behavior anyway? What are they going to do? Reject me? And then what? Slander me? Then?
A conversation I’ve had with myself multiple times lately centers on relationships. I often felt defeated after I graduated high school and college because I knew relationships I had made were inevitably going to fizzle out. I wanted to stay in college forever because of the community and acceptance. Moving out of the dorms, transitioning to an in-between stage of having a roommate (and a great one, at that!) and now living on my own has really shown me that the people in your life who matter will always be there in some way or another. It may be through weekly phone calls. It may be through random Facebook messages. It may just be that you went to see their baby 6 months after he was born and had a wonderful conversation with the mom & dad. When you’re in middle school, quantity really does matter. You want to be well-liked and that’s the way it is shown. When you start to grow up you realize quality is more important and you would rather be loved than just well-liked. That doesn’t always mean a phone or dinner date every day.
So what does all this have to do with being undignified? I’m glad you asked. At 24, I’m starting to see what is good and right in this world (or I’d like to think so). I’m been blessed abundantly with good people in my life, a faith that is unchanging, a job I love and I’ve learned/been taught how to take care of myself in a pretty acceptable way. I feel like I’ve got the tools I need and now it’s time to hang on to all of that (with an open hand) and let my true “unrefinedness” show itself in big ways. I want to challenge things. Push myself. Fail. See things from a different perspective. Be honest (yet loving) with those closest to me. Not lean on the temporal nature of fear, but the eternal nature of faith. The list could go on, but at the end of the day I want to know that I didn’t play it safe and that when I’m hurt, broken and bruised that all those aforementioned blessings are waiting for me in the wings to pick me up and nurse me back to health so I can do it all again.
The Run for the Booty is just an outward, physical reflection of all this. Please don’t think that when I’m running I think about all of this and the goal is always clear. It’s definitely not. I get tired, I think unholy thoughts and still say bad words when I hurt. But though the goal is not always clear it is, in fact, always there and I’ll keep running—physically and through the rest of my life. Hopefully it’s in an undignified way.
Today’s Stats: 2.88 miles, 26.01 minutes, 0 walking breaks. 77 degrees. Avg. mile: 9.01 miles/hr.
I’m going to get a little deep today so if you strongly prefer all the humor and are adverse to “real” talk, you may want to consider flipping to one of your other blogs you keep up with. The true theme of my half-marathon journey is “Undignified.” I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t for spiritual growth reasons, but I’d also be lying if I said it wasn’t for personal goal reasons. The literal definition of “undignified” is: lacking in or damaging to dignity. Synonyms of this word can be discomposed, inelegant, unseemly, inappropriate, unsuitable, improper, unbecoming, or unrefined. (Thanks, thefreedictionary.com!) Now, reading all that you would never assume it’d be something anyone would desire to strive for. Unless it is attention-seeking behavior, no one ever thinks it awesome to be any of those things. We always want to fit in and just slide through life unnoticed. Many times we’re ashamed to put ourselves out there for fear of rejection. Everyone wants to seem dignified, having it all together and feeling comfortable. Well, I’m tired of it, personally. Why do I need to work so hard to impress the person to the right of me whose opinion shouldn’t really dictate my behavior anyway? What are they going to do? Reject me? And then what? Slander me? Then?
A conversation I’ve had with myself multiple times lately centers on relationships. I often felt defeated after I graduated high school and college because I knew relationships I had made were inevitably going to fizzle out. I wanted to stay in college forever because of the community and acceptance. Moving out of the dorms, transitioning to an in-between stage of having a roommate (and a great one, at that!) and now living on my own has really shown me that the people in your life who matter will always be there in some way or another. It may be through weekly phone calls. It may be through random Facebook messages. It may just be that you went to see their baby 6 months after he was born and had a wonderful conversation with the mom & dad. When you’re in middle school, quantity really does matter. You want to be well-liked and that’s the way it is shown. When you start to grow up you realize quality is more important and you would rather be loved than just well-liked. That doesn’t always mean a phone or dinner date every day.
So what does all this have to do with being undignified? I’m glad you asked. At 24, I’m starting to see what is good and right in this world (or I’d like to think so). I’m been blessed abundantly with good people in my life, a faith that is unchanging, a job I love and I’ve learned/been taught how to take care of myself in a pretty acceptable way. I feel like I’ve got the tools I need and now it’s time to hang on to all of that (with an open hand) and let my true “unrefinedness” show itself in big ways. I want to challenge things. Push myself. Fail. See things from a different perspective. Be honest (yet loving) with those closest to me. Not lean on the temporal nature of fear, but the eternal nature of faith. The list could go on, but at the end of the day I want to know that I didn’t play it safe and that when I’m hurt, broken and bruised that all those aforementioned blessings are waiting for me in the wings to pick me up and nurse me back to health so I can do it all again.
The Run for the Booty is just an outward, physical reflection of all this. Please don’t think that when I’m running I think about all of this and the goal is always clear. It’s definitely not. I get tired, I think unholy thoughts and still say bad words when I hurt. But though the goal is not always clear it is, in fact, always there and I’ll keep running—physically and through the rest of my life. Hopefully it’s in an undignified way.
Today’s Stats: 2.88 miles, 26.01 minutes, 0 walking breaks. 77 degrees. Avg. mile: 9.01 miles/hr.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The Climb
No, I’m not channeling Miley Cyrus…just merely borrowing a song title. Today I would like to cover 2 issues.
1. Exercise induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea (don’t Google them yet…I promise to explain) and
2. The beastly hill which brings me out of downtown that magically gets bigger.
I know your intellectual neurons are firing off because you’re curious about exercise induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea. Well, put simply, exercise induced rhinitis (EIR) is when you exercise and your nasal passages become inflamed due to the release of histamine. Histamine is known as the “allergy chemical”, but is released throughout the body to serve normal, non-allergy functions. Symptoms due to too much histamine being released are itching, sneezing and running nose. Intense aerobic activity can cause too much histamine to be released, resulting in a case of rhinorrhea. Rhinorrhea is more commonly known as persistent watery mucus discharge from the nose (as in the common cold). I am a victim and survivor of exercised induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea.
Long story short, my nose runs like a BEAST when I run. I’m not talking your typical post-nasal drip, I have a little cold and I need a tissue “discharge.” I’m dead serious talking about consistent, watery, clear snot that keeps coming like the Hoover Dam of my nose has been opened. It is very difficult to run when you keep trying to suck all that garbage back up only to have it flow at 20x the speed as soon as you breathe out your mouth. I’ve tried carrying toilet paper. Toilet paper sticks to sweaty skin when you run and is, therefore, ineffective when needed. I haven’t tried a handkerchief yet (though suggested by a few) for a few reasons. One being it would throw off my running stance to try and grab for it, open it up, blow effectively, package it back up, and put it back. Another reason being that handkerchiefs gross me out. There is nothing that has ever been appealing to me (especially when older men use them) about having a reusable tissue no matter what kind of cute printed fabric you use or if it was Great Grandma Josephine’s from 1852 and it has her initials embroidered on it. I think Kleenex was really on to something when they started boxing tissues and Cottonelle isn’t far behind with toilet paper. Plus I’d have to stick my finger in old nastiness to try and get a corner that may not be soaked in my rhinorrhea…not going to happen, folks. Thus far I have been using the neckline of my t-shirt and, when desperate, my right sleeve when I need to blow. Similar to a handkerchief, but I’m not trying to make my t-shirts pretty. I run in them. I know they’re gross. There is one suggestion I have yet to try because I always forget and I’m never sure when I’m going to run – Zyrtec. Apparently taking an allergy pill about an hour before you run can either reduce or rid your exercise efforts of EIR and rhinorrhea. (Thanks to WebMD and Google definitions for all scientifically-sound information.)
Moving on to number 2…the beastly hill in my town that leads both in and out of downtown. My town is small, but very, very cute. It’s a great place to run with long sidewalks that only end occasionally and flip to the other side of the road and there don’t seem to be many scary on-lookers when I’m out and about. Anyway, there is this hill about 2 miles from my apartment near the local elementary school. It leads to a beautiful downhill, downtown view with trees coming over it to create a nice shade. Enchanting. Magical. Until I turn around and that once beautiful downhill, downtown view becomes dark, eerie and intimidating. The hill is no longer downhill and magical. The only magical thing about this hill is how huge and ridiculous it has become. The words “downtown” and “uptown” take on a whole new meaning. Going “uptown”…not so much fun. It was funny because today as I had turned around and was approaching this hill, David Crowder’s “I Saw the Light” came on my iPod. How true it was because from the bottom of that hill there was no light. I saw tree branches, shade and sidewalk. After I busted over the top of that hill in what I like to think a Rocky-style fashion (though probably looked like Rocky after 1,000 takes of running those stairs), I saw the sun again. And it was bright. And hot. I could come up with some deep, spiritual, encouraging words to say about this hill and give it a metaphor for life or relationships, but it would be forced. In all honestly, this hill sucks and I really have nothing good to say about it, but wanted to share this hardship with you, the reader.
If you’ve stuck with this post until this point, congratulations on keeping up with my rambling. It’s random, but as stated before, honest and raw. Please direct any questions, comments or concerns to the option labeled “comments”…I’d love to hear them!
Here’s my deep reflection on today’s run: When you hear a honk from a car when you’re running on the sidewalk, what does that really mean?
Today’s stats: 4.24 miles, 43.06 minutes, 2 small walking breaks. 82 degrees.
1. Exercise induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea (don’t Google them yet…I promise to explain) and
2. The beastly hill which brings me out of downtown that magically gets bigger.
I know your intellectual neurons are firing off because you’re curious about exercise induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea. Well, put simply, exercise induced rhinitis (EIR) is when you exercise and your nasal passages become inflamed due to the release of histamine. Histamine is known as the “allergy chemical”, but is released throughout the body to serve normal, non-allergy functions. Symptoms due to too much histamine being released are itching, sneezing and running nose. Intense aerobic activity can cause too much histamine to be released, resulting in a case of rhinorrhea. Rhinorrhea is more commonly known as persistent watery mucus discharge from the nose (as in the common cold). I am a victim and survivor of exercised induced rhinitis and rhinorrhea.
Long story short, my nose runs like a BEAST when I run. I’m not talking your typical post-nasal drip, I have a little cold and I need a tissue “discharge.” I’m dead serious talking about consistent, watery, clear snot that keeps coming like the Hoover Dam of my nose has been opened. It is very difficult to run when you keep trying to suck all that garbage back up only to have it flow at 20x the speed as soon as you breathe out your mouth. I’ve tried carrying toilet paper. Toilet paper sticks to sweaty skin when you run and is, therefore, ineffective when needed. I haven’t tried a handkerchief yet (though suggested by a few) for a few reasons. One being it would throw off my running stance to try and grab for it, open it up, blow effectively, package it back up, and put it back. Another reason being that handkerchiefs gross me out. There is nothing that has ever been appealing to me (especially when older men use them) about having a reusable tissue no matter what kind of cute printed fabric you use or if it was Great Grandma Josephine’s from 1852 and it has her initials embroidered on it. I think Kleenex was really on to something when they started boxing tissues and Cottonelle isn’t far behind with toilet paper. Plus I’d have to stick my finger in old nastiness to try and get a corner that may not be soaked in my rhinorrhea…not going to happen, folks. Thus far I have been using the neckline of my t-shirt and, when desperate, my right sleeve when I need to blow. Similar to a handkerchief, but I’m not trying to make my t-shirts pretty. I run in them. I know they’re gross. There is one suggestion I have yet to try because I always forget and I’m never sure when I’m going to run – Zyrtec. Apparently taking an allergy pill about an hour before you run can either reduce or rid your exercise efforts of EIR and rhinorrhea. (Thanks to WebMD and Google definitions for all scientifically-sound information.)
Moving on to number 2…the beastly hill in my town that leads both in and out of downtown. My town is small, but very, very cute. It’s a great place to run with long sidewalks that only end occasionally and flip to the other side of the road and there don’t seem to be many scary on-lookers when I’m out and about. Anyway, there is this hill about 2 miles from my apartment near the local elementary school. It leads to a beautiful downhill, downtown view with trees coming over it to create a nice shade. Enchanting. Magical. Until I turn around and that once beautiful downhill, downtown view becomes dark, eerie and intimidating. The hill is no longer downhill and magical. The only magical thing about this hill is how huge and ridiculous it has become. The words “downtown” and “uptown” take on a whole new meaning. Going “uptown”…not so much fun. It was funny because today as I had turned around and was approaching this hill, David Crowder’s “I Saw the Light” came on my iPod. How true it was because from the bottom of that hill there was no light. I saw tree branches, shade and sidewalk. After I busted over the top of that hill in what I like to think a Rocky-style fashion (though probably looked like Rocky after 1,000 takes of running those stairs), I saw the sun again. And it was bright. And hot. I could come up with some deep, spiritual, encouraging words to say about this hill and give it a metaphor for life or relationships, but it would be forced. In all honestly, this hill sucks and I really have nothing good to say about it, but wanted to share this hardship with you, the reader.
If you’ve stuck with this post until this point, congratulations on keeping up with my rambling. It’s random, but as stated before, honest and raw. Please direct any questions, comments or concerns to the option labeled “comments”…I’d love to hear them!
Here’s my deep reflection on today’s run: When you hear a honk from a car when you’re running on the sidewalk, what does that really mean?
Today’s stats: 4.24 miles, 43.06 minutes, 2 small walking breaks. 82 degrees.
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