a little and a lot

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Mileage Musings: 7 & 9

So I got this great idea that I needed to start taking pictures of my marathon progress. I was inspired by the "baby bump" pics my friends have taken at certain weeks in their pregnancy...I figured, this marathon is my little baby for the year--why not track my growth too. eh?

I've fallen a little behind, so I'm going to squish two weeks together...

MILE SEVEN:

During my run 2 weeks ago for Mile 7, I realized that I might need to enlighten some random blog passers-by on walking etiquette. (I say passers-by because obviously YOU, dear reader, have perfect walking etiquette and that indeed is my assumption!)
  • If you are walking on a track or trail, please please please walk on the "outer" rim. (The inner rim would be the "shortest" distance because the circumference is smaller. I may have failed math twice in college, but occasionally I get my act together.) I say this because if a runner is running their 6th mile, they just be too tired to run around the casual-walking-obvlious-to-his/her-surroundings-because-he/she-is-yakking-on-their-cell-phone person. (For the record, Nick disagrees with me--he says you always run on the right side of the trail, as if you were driving. I completely disagree. When it is 90 degrees and you have to run 7 miles, you are going for the path of least resistance FOR SURE, and in my opinion, you get dibs over walkers. What do you think?)
  • If you are walking in multiples, leave room on the trail for someone else going either direction so they don't have to leave the trail and run around you on the grass, thus risking a twisted ankle or knee from the surface and level transitions. This also includes walking with children. I am so happy that your child can walk. Please at least hold his/her hand as runners pass by so they don't have to fear running over your namesake. I would say a good rule of thumb is that groups should take up no more than two-thirds of the trail, even if this means you have to fall back into layers.
  • If you are walking with a stroller, you are automatically assigned to the outer rim. No question. If you are RUNNING with a stroller, kudos to you and I will bow and kiss your feet b/c I have no idea how you do it.
  • This doesn't have much to do with walking etiquette, but if you are walking slow enough to talk on your cell phone or read a magazine you are probably not getting much exercise. Even if you are wearing athletic clothes. Wearing the clothes does not fool anyone or burn more calories. But whatev.
As you can see by my happy face in the picture, my 7 mile run was a breeze. Literally...it was wonderful strangely-cool weather on that afternoon and it was AMAZING.

MILE NINE:

Mile 7 and Mile 9 were like night and day.

My 9 mile run was probably the worst run of my entire life.

First, I had forsaken the previous week's running assignments due to rain, fatigue, and time management issues. (This means I had missed a 3, 4, 3, and 5 from the week before...the long run had me drop down to five miles for a little break. Needless to say, I gave myself a much larger and longer break. ha.)

Second, the evening we ran it was 90 degrees.

Third, we started running at Shelby Farms at 6:30, anticipating that 9 miles would take an hour and a half and that would have us finishing at 8pm when the sun was going down. (Shelby Farms closes after sunset.)

Fourth, we had registered to run the Nike+ Human Race, which was a 10k. This is 6.2 miles, but let it be noted that the farthest Nick had run before this race was 3 miles.

So, needless to say, the heat toasted us. We made it through the first 3 miles but ran straight to our car, where we had set up our waterbottles and Gu. We started back for another 3 mile loop, but I was exhausted from the heat and we had to stop several times to walk.  We got 1 mile out and were told by another runner that the park was closing in 5 minutes. Apparently I had misjudged the amount of time it would take us to run the full distance. We turned around and headed back to our car, with Nick running on and me doing an alternating run & walk. I was so hot and tired when we reached the car that I didn't speak for a good long while, which is remarkable for me. On the way home, we decided to park in our driveway and finish the remaining 4 miles when we got to our house. Which is what we did...in the dark.

When we finished up, we came inside and I sat (as usual) on our living room floor to cool off and stretch. All of a sudden, I got the worst cramp I've ever had...in my left butt cheek. Sorry for the graphic description of the site of my cramp, but that is precisely where it was and it felt like I had torn my gluteus maximus. I was yelling and wailing and Nick came running in and had to help me get the cramp to stop. I'm sure it was a sight to behold.

After it was all over, this is what I looked like (for a good hour):


Stay tuned for more mileage musings, folks! Until then, I ran in the rain this week and got a blister between my toes so I am taking it easy until Tuesday.

6 comments:

L said...

hilarious!!!! i love it! clay and i were cracking up reading it...especially on the etiquette of running...so my pet peeve too!!! especially the "layering" if there are several people...it drives me crazy when people won't move out of the way!!! haha.

and we ran our 9 miler in the heat of the day...and about died. horrible. but the 10 miler was much easier. have you registered yet?

ashley said...

2 points of comments - #1 good for you for finishing your 9 miler. lots of folks would have called it a day. i think you get bonus points for that!

2- i think you and nick are both right on the "running lane" issue. yes it should be like driving but aren't faster drivers supposed to drive on the inside/passing lane meaning runners should have the inside lane???

Unknown said...

here's my experience, having once trained on a bona fide trail in Austin, at "Lake Austin:"

you travel on the right side of the trail, like driving, and the slowest people are on the outside (farthest right) of the lane, so the runners are more toward the center of the trail, which [I suppose] would be giving them the path of least resistance. I dont know if thats what you mean? sidewalks are different.

btw, there's no turning back for me. i got new shoes yesterday

Blessed said...

Way to go, Jesse!!! I love the pictures. Keep em coming!

Larissa Smith said...

Keep it up! I'm so impressed by your determination, even with your self-assigned long breaks. I would have wimped out long ago.

And as for etiquette, not a clue, but you are absolutely right to defer to stroller runners. Those things are not as easy as it looks!

Stay sassy and descriptive...it's tons of fun to read!

Jane said...

Oh girl...good luck with your rules for walkers...or slower joggers...or large groups of high school kids running for some sport...cars...

My husband and I (separately) have been run off the sidewalk, road, path, etc. There are days when I feel that for SOME reason, drivers have decided I am a nuisance to society and it is their job to rid the earth of runners like me.

It is dangerous out there. Keep watch! :)


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