I Didn't Start The Running.....

After a weekend full of running, I have come to many realizations about this quest.

First and most importantly was Saturday's epiphany.

I only had 40 minutes from start to finish in order to cram a decent sized run into Saturday morning. After Thursday's Sweetheart Run (felt awesome) and Friday's weight training (loved it), I won't lie: I was optimistic about Saturday morning's run. At first, however, it wasn't exactly the stellar experience I had envisioned.

First off - I previously claimed that I was getting better at dressing for outdoor runs. Well, as it turned out, I still had quite a bit of learning to do on this subject. I not only overdressed and found my fleece around my waist in no-time, I had made the grave error of wearing sweatpants. Now - you may be thinking that's not so bad and that I'm just being whiny. Well, these weren't just any sweatpants. They are more fashion statement than workout wear. I bought them at a trendy boutique here in town. They sit low on the waist and have rolled-up, intentionally shabby hem that serves no other purpose than to look cool. Oh - and they FLARE at the bottom. Seriously. You may be thinking "What was she thinking?" Well, I was thinking that I had actually worn them before for a run, though circumstances were different: It was freezing outside and I was mostly on pavement.

So - factor in warm temps (45 and sunny) and a moist bark-mulch running trail, and you have a mess for a myriad of reasons. I won't bore you will all of them, but I will disclose the key problem: As I continued on the trail, my pants became increasingly damp and flecked with small pieces of bark-mulch, causing them to be heavy. Add weight to the bottom of your trousers, which are supported by a loose, low waist, and well, you're losing your drawers after only ten minutes. You understood correctly: I was tugging on my pants the entire time, just to keep them up to displace any risk of plumbers crack. You perhaps once thought runners immune to such a phenomenon. Me, too. However, I can now testify that it can indeed happen while running. The second problem with these trousers (yes, it gets worse) was that they were extremely warm on a sunny Eugene morning, which contributed to a hotter than necessary experience, causing me to fear (irrationally fear - I mean, it was only a 40 minute run) dehydration.

So - now that I have painted the back drop for you - Me, running whilst placing one hand on my trousers to keep them from revealing aforementioned "plumber's crack", fleece around my waist and obvious dampness around my feet (creeping up my legs) I can get to the meat and potatoes of why this run mattered: The Epiphany.

I had all but chalked this run up to a horrible experience and set my sights on tomorrow's long run when something amazing happened. I had been running for about a half hour when Billy Joel's "We didn't start the Fire" began. I have in the past alluded to the fact that certain selections by Mr. Joel seem to give me the fuel I need to pick up my pace, or at the very least - just keep running. So - while the song began, I literally picked up the pace, so much so that I actually felt great the faster I ran. I fell into a great running groove and ran for the next ten minutes the length that had taken me 15 minutes just prior. I didn't really start running until I had been out there for thirty minutes!

What did this teach me? Well - it's simple: Even while I feel terrible, as long as I'm not injured as well as sufficiently fed and watered, I need to stay the course because my groove will come. I have been told by others that the first two miles are the most difficult. For me - it's apparently the first 20 - 30 minutes. I had only 40 minutes for this run which (I can't hardly believe it) disappointed me. Once I started to take-off, I didn't want to stop. This gave me the confidence for the first of many long runs this year - a 60 minute run. This deserves it's own post, however, so I'm writing another soon to describe my first 6 mile adventure!