Discoveries

I've had a full running week! Let me get you up to date.

Tuesday, February 19

This run would prove to be full of discoveries about me, this quest of mine, as well as a figure of speech - I'll get to all of these revelations as they occur throughout the run.

It was a typical rainy 45 degree day in Eugene, so I decided to run indoors. My schedule told me to do 3.5 miles, so I figured it would be a breeze because I had run 6 miles two days prior. I felt good, I was optimistic, and I was ready to run. My first discovery happened earlier in the day I had added up my total mileage since January 2nd and it was 79 miles! I was as dumbfounded as I was proud and motivated by this. I could hardly believe it. The 7 weeks prior to January 2nd, I had ran exactly zero miles.

There were subtle differences for this Tuesday run than there had been in the past two weeks. I was not only indoors, I was running in the evening and normally I run either in the morning or during lunchtime. So there was that small detail. Also, normally when I got to the gym, there are few people present. Tuesday, however, was a full house (though I did score a good treadmill - just in front of a TV with cnn headline news).

I was excited for the opportunity to see what sort of pace I've actually been running. In the past, I had averaged my distances on a 10 minute mile. If I needed to run 4 miles, I ran for 40 minutes and so on. With the treadmill, I could easily start my comfortable pace and see where it falls.

As I started running, I felt great. I quickly settled into a groove and searched for that pace. Discovery #2: Would you believe that I had been running 8.5 minute miles??? I would occasionally slip into a 9 minute pace for a break, but really felt most comfortable with the 8.5. This COULD mean my total mileage is off a little, but the first month of running for me probably made up for any ground I've gained, so I'll stick with my estimate for now.

I stopped after ten minutes to stretch and was off to the races again.

As soon as I had settled into my gait, I hit the first metaphorical "bump in the road". At my gym, there are two rows of cardio equipment, as well as two rows on TVs. A guy in the second row, who had been watching the TV directly behind mine apparently decided the programming on the TV in front of him was no longer desirable, so he changed the channel. Now, someone should have told him that when he changes his channel, any TV within the path of the remote will change also. Now - why does this matter? Because my TV didn't change EVERY time he hit the remote, just every so often. After a while, the channels stopped turning and my TV was set on the discovery channel which was apparently doing a program on lumber, building materials, I don't know. Something that required them to show loads of footage of sawing logs (seriously - that's all that was on the screen for about 5 minutes). At this time, I discovered (#3) the reason behind the term "sawing logs" when used to describe someone who is in a deep sleep: It is THE most boring thing ever and I was practically ready to fall asleep while running.

I decided that such a small change of plans wasn't a deal breaker and that I would adapt and overcome. Afterall - I still had my iPod and I would just do what I normally do while running outside - I would look straight ahead. RIGHT. Only one teensy problem: To look straight ahead was to stare at my face in the mirror (which 15 minutes into a run is not a pretty site, nor is it a distracting site). I was faced with a difficult decision: Should I stay on the treadmill and try to stay awake during the sawing of the logs, or should I get down, grab that damn remote, and find myself some Larry King on CNN?

Having had enough of the sawing logs, I chose the latter of my options. Hopped off the treadmill and asked the friendly gym attendant to turn my TV on to CNN. He kindly did so and I was able to resume some semblance of normalcy, albeit only for a moment. You see, apparently after I break my cadence, I am in shin-splint hell. Three minutes after getting back onto the treadmill, I could not shake those shinsplints. The remainder of my run was spent on and off the treadmill, trying to stretch out my legs to ease the pain. I finally practically walked my last mile, got off the machine, and sauntered into a quiet room to stretch.

I was a little disappointed with my performance in the last half of the run, but it really wasn't enough to get me down. I had, afterall, run 82.5 miles in this quest and I had run 6 miles two days prior. Life was still good.

I should have stopped while I was ahead. I couldn't, however, leave well enough alone. I stepped on the scale when I entered the locker room. Now, I really didn't expect to lose any weight because I never do. I swear I have been the same weight for the past 7 years except for about 10 months over the pregnancy. Sure, I shape-shift occasionally, but never do I ever lose any weight. I was just curious, you know? I mean true, I never lose weight, but I also have never ran 82.5 miles in 7 weeks before either. So, in this frame of mind, I step on the scale. My jaw was literally agape as I kept sliding the little metal thing UP the scale, thus making my final discovery of the evening. I am not kidding. I weight MORE now. Not just that pound of water, either. I have gained 3 pounds!

Some of you may be saying: Oh sure, but it's all muscle. This COULD be, and I have told friends who have experienced something similar that they gain muscle when they start working out and probably won't drop any pounds right away. This, however hardly works when I'm on the receiving end AND when it's CARDIO I've been doing. That's supposed to make you skinny, people! Not gain 3 pounds in 7 weeks!

At any rate, the 3 lbs is not that big of a deal. I'm have deduced that while I have indeed been eating like a pig, I do have a lot of muscle to gain in my legs (non-runner legs - they ain't pretty) and perhaps I really did gain at least 2 pounds of muscle (though that seems unlikely just from a sheer science perspective) but what do I know? I shall keep running regardless of this unexpected consequence of running!