Saturday, August 04, 2007
Bridge on the Way to Washington National Airport
Me, this a.m., on the Mt. Vernon trail: "You'll go on without me and that's an order!"
Coach: "You're crazy with courage, and for what?! You've got the stench of death about you!"
Me: "Sorry, it's hot out here."
I can particularly relate to the guy who is marching in place with only one boot. Marching in place ... not getting anywhere ... yes, that sounds familiar!
I love these runs. Even when they suck because no matter what, it never fails that I get a story out of them. It's all blog fodder, people!
Last week I ran 16 miles, 10 during the week, 6 on Saturday. This week, I upped my weekly mileage to 13, and my Saturday run to 7. What's that you say, Laurie?? Blah blah blah careful don't add too much blah blah too soon la la la?? A.J.? Did you say something?
My group was running 5 miles Saturday morning, so this fellow suggested I get there early, run 2 and then go out with my group for 5. Seven in the can without even noticing! Brilliant!
I got there at 7 a.m. and ran one mile out and back. I was slow, but often am on those first few miles: 11:34 and 11:00. I got back, met with the group and went back out for 5 miles. By 7:30 a.m., I swear it was 110. In the shade. Inside. With air conditioning. I started out fine on this—let the record reflect—my second run of the morning. I ran with a new kid, dishing out portions of my vast wide and deep running knowledge for her to drink in. And then? I fizzled out like a damp match.
Oh who knows why it happened. Heat, too many miles added too quickly, no water (did I mention I had cleverly brought no water?), I'm lazy (my personal favorite), but what happened was around mile 3 (really mile 5), it was all over. I watched every single member of my pace group pass me while I told them all oh no, I was fine. I'm walking because, I dunno, it's so nice in the broiling sun, I thought I'd prolong this death march. I pretty much walked the last two miles, which sort of defeated the point of getting there early but oh well. I even resorted to talking "nice" to myself, as in how I would talk to a friend who was struggling, but I wasn't buying it.
If I'd had the strength, I would have whistled the "Colonel Bogey March."
In the end? Colonel Nicholson goes beserk, everyone dies and they blow up the bridge. Now that's what I call a good movie!
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14 comments:
That sounded AWFUL! Hope you're feeling better now after you've HYDRATED, you duffer.
But when you aim high - 7 miles, in the heat, bloody hell!- you sometimes crash and burn, no? The good thing about aiming high is sometimes you soar :)
Mama mia! Relax, drink (water!) and forget about it. Running in the heat is terribe!
It was hot yesterday all right. It got to be 100 degrees later in the day in Alexandria. Oh, we were IN Alexandria. August in the nation's capital, nothing finer. But you did great, doing 7. The first time you up your distance is hard sometimes. You have two whole months in which to up your base to ten before the Army 10-Miler in early October. You'll get there b/c you're right on track. Remember the long weeks in March and April when you weren't even running? (I seem to remember a counting thingee on your blog counting the days til you could run again.) You've come a long way, fast.
it was SO HOT yesterday!! i am so impressed you were outside at all! i was hiding in the shade whimpering trying to keep my poison-ivy splotches from itching.
Blah, blah, blah - ha ha ha. Screw the heat! And I did have water but it didn't matter. 110 on the asphalt is just not worth dealing with if you aren't racing. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! That's what happens when you are older and wiser - you figure this stuff out.
It was the heat, rest assured. That happened to me last Saturday. And my water was lukewarm within minutes of starting. Eeek!
Blog fodder definitely. Why else would we do this to ourselves? ;)
I think it was more the lack of water and the heat that caused the combustion (ha) more than too many miles. The extra miles didn't help my you need to hydrate!
The heat and the humidity will definitely make a pleasant run seem like the Bataan Death March. Don't beat yourself up - you'll be running 7 very soon, and it will be no problemo. I was supposed to run 16-18 miles this morning, but I had to stop at 9 b/c we had to clean up and leave our rental house in Tahoe an hour earlier than I thought. Still in Tahoe - staying at E.'s brother's house, which is empty and huge. Am going to run another 9 miles this afternoon. I know, not really an 18-miler, but it's better than just stopping at the first 9 miles ...
I concur with all who've "spoken" before me. Heat + high humidity = Hell. Don't be too hard on yourself...until fall arrives and it cools down.
And that Talking Heads song in your sidebar is one of my favorites!
Hmmm. I think we had the same run this weekend. Only mine was shorter. But the talking nice to yourself to get through it - totally right there with ya. Damn heat. And I call myself a fire bird.
Too bad I don't live closer. We could enjoy those death marches together! I think I've used some of those same excuses myself from time to time, along with bargaining with the devil to just let me please be done!
Colonel Bogey? You need to pick some other movies for motivation!
Next time it will be better. Remember, you're still in early recovery from your operation.
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