Running With Drugs

I am still sick.

My head hurts. I think I have a wee touch of bronchitis.

I was going to drag myself to the doctors today, but I didn't feel good enough. Seriously, doesn't that just kill you that when you're so sick, you can't bear the thought of getting to the doctors? Oh for the days of the home visit.

In running news:

I ran on a treadmill at the YMCA Thursday night, sick. I've been a member of my local Y on and off for several years and had NEVER set foot in the Room of Machines.

Do you people realize that there are now TREADMILLS WITH TELEVISIONS ATTACHED???? Who knew??



Talk about your headphone debate. I ran five fast miles watching "Father of the Bride," (this one is better) and I didn't want to get off. It's only a matter of time until someone invents a TV that fits on a watch...



Oh.

I guess it's OK if you watch TV while you run, as long as YOU DON'T WEAR HEADPHONES.

Friday I worked from home to avoid spreading my germs. This morning I had 12 miles on the schedule. Since I had skipped last week's run, I felt pressure to get out there. So I did. It was 30F, and we met at Haine's Point, for a run through Rock Creek Park. I cleverly took an antihistamine beforehand. (I know. Don't even bother telling me.) But in case you ever think about taking cold medicine and then running? Don't.

Do you ever go out for a run and immediately just KNOW it's going to suck? So, after the first step, I knew this was not going to be fun. My legs felt like cement. There were six of us, and by mile 3, the other five were but dots in the far, far distance. I got slower and slower. Thank God I had my iPod with me. Cuz no amount of nature was going to distract me from the fact that my nose was running faster than I was. My hands were so cold, I couldn't get my tissues out of my pocket. It was GROSS!

But I wasn't coughing too much.

I got to about mile 5, and had totally lost my group. So I turned back.

Ten miles in the bank, and the rest of the day on the couch, coughing.

I really need to read more.

Ten Miles

(Addendum: Oh, oops: total time: 1:52:55 (11:17 min. mile))

I should have been home making eggnog quick bread for my hairdresser (don't ask) but I dragged —and I do mean DRAGGED—myself out of my NICE WARM HOUSE to run 10 miles in 39F (REAL FEEL 31F).

I'm trying to hit 10 miles in 1:50 so I can qualify for the National Marathon. Not that I want to run it. I just want don't want anyone telling me I'm not allowed to.

So during last week's wonderful hilly half, when I felt like I could run forever, I hit 10 miles in 1:55. Today, at three miles I was thinking that somebody moved the wall. From 22 miles to three. I really wish someone would explain to me why running is easy one day and misery the next. WHY? WHY??

Here's how I've been running my 10 miles: Drop off car at work. Pop up to the trail, run 1.5 miles out and back = 3 miles. That puts me back at work. Run two miles past work = 5 miles. Two miles back, and I'm at work again, and now at 7 miles. Run out 1.5 miles and back = 10.

See? It's brilliant. I have about four chances to quit! And I'm never farther than two miles away from work.

Today

Mile 1: 11:15
Mile 2: 10:49 (kill me, really, I can't run another foot, I hate this and I want it to stop. OK, Jeanne, if you really want to, you can stop at mile 3. Then, you can write about that on your damn blog.)
Mile 3: 11:09
Mile 4: 10:18 (whee! downhill!)
Mile 5: 10:26
Mile 6: 11:57 (and back up)
Mile 7: 12:46 (might have been a stoplight and traffic here)
Mile 8: 12:00 (or maybe it was here)
Mile 9: 10:43 (please make this end. i'm begging.)
Mile 10: 11:30

Nothing says consistency like "Jeanne"!

This Must Be the Place

Recognize this? You should—it's everywhere!

The very kind people at Accelerade sent me a few boxes of this stuff and asked if I'd give it a test ride and let people know what I thought. So, I did (sort of) and I will.

Yesterday was my 10-mile group long run so off I went in my little putt-putt machine hoping the engine would not decide to break down on the beltway at 7 a.m. We meet at 7:30 a.m. these days, which is supposed to be early but in Washington might as well be high noon. Too late people!

Yesterday's long run for my group was four miles on the Mt. Vernon trail, which runs along the Virginia side of the Potomac River. We met at Daingerfield Island (which is neither dangerous nor an island) and ran north to Reagan National Airport and back. My personal long-run schedule said six miles, which I had tried to do a few weeks ago on my own and choked. So while hanging around waiting for everyone to arrive, I intensely debated whether or not to add on two miles. Like my life depended on it.


There were about 10,000 runners gathered at Daingerfield Island on Saturday: Team in Training, the Arlington Road Runners, Galloway's group, and a few others. Toss in a few thousand bikers on the trail and good luck not getting killed. As we waited, like some old school marm (no offense to old school marms!) I warned people to please stay to the right and not run six abreast as I've seen some highly organized groups do.

Coach J. arrived and off we went.

Coach J.'s group has a wide range of paces: from 9-minute milers to 13-minute milers. Two people were far ahead of me, one girl was near my pace but was walk/running, and the rest of the group was a behind me. Alone in the midst of thousands. A voice in the wilderness. And, I had made the supreme sacrifice of running sans headphones since I'm trying to be social! For naught!

Oh the humanity.

At the turnaround point I finally made the critical all-important life changing decision that today was the day I was going to merge my two programs into one and get my six-mile long run in. I was feeling good at mile two so pushed on to three. It was hot, the trail has lots of rolling hills, and little shade. And I was cleverly carrying no water. (But I did have my shoe ID on! Thanks, E.!)

(Mt. Vernon trail, Gravelly Point, north of National airport. Clueless walker about to be mowed down by bike.)

Still feeling good at mile three, I started worrying about no water. Lucky for me the Arlington Road Runners Club had a lovely table set up nearby with my version of sex on the beach: frozen grapes! And pretzels. A veritable buffet. And water. I helped myself to two gulps of water, said thanks, and was on my way.

Was that wrong?

Six miles in the can! I'm just starting to believe that ten is within my grasp. Maybe.

But. It. Was. Hot. Apparently my moisture-wicking clothing lost its wickiness a while ago. I was drenched. I inhaled an entire bottle of Gatorade and another of water the minute I got back.

After I got in the car, I pulled out the Accelerade. I swilled some down while I cranked up the heat in my car (to pull it out of the engine. Fun.).

So a few words about Accelerade. First, it's got milk products (whey protein) in it, so if you're vegan, you might think twice about it.

Second, it's not really a thirst quencher. The "citrus grapefruit" flavor left a not-unpleasant after-taste, but also left me thirsty. It has an odd mouth-feel.

The protein in it is 'sposed to make it a good recovery drink, but I'm not sure I gave it a good test. I got home, read the paper, and immediately crashed for two hours. So maybe it's good for getting you to sleep?

When I woke up, I had a slightly sick stomach. It could have been the Gatorade, the heat, the Starbucks raspberry scone I picked up on the way home OR the Accelerade.

But that didn't stop me from heading out to celebrate someone's birthday at the Korean BBQ. And if you've ever read someone's blog, you know she can really pack in the calories. She's a machine. I've never seen more food on one table in my life. The good news is I overcame my queasy stomach, and tried everything in sight (but the meat) and I loved it all, my first foray into the world of Korean cuisine.

Saturday's totals:
mile 1: 9:30
mile 2: 11:04
mile 3: 10:47
mile 4: 11:34
mile 5: 10:42
mile 6: 11:03

One raspberry scone
One gatorade
One accelerade
Seaweed salad, bip 'n bop (?), edamame, miso, and lots of other yummy stuff that I can't pronounce and don't know what it is. All I know is: it cured what ailed me, and it was GOOD.

Now bounce on over to someone's site and wish her Happy Birthday!