Sooo here's the thing. Since the new year I have become a runner. Well, maybe I'm using the term "runner" a little liberally. I have started running, but what to me is running to most is, to be quite honest, jogging, or sometimes at best, shuffling really fast while sucking air in and out like a hoover vacuum cleaner.
I breathe hard, I stride out, but at the end of the treadmill run I am still at about 5.7 mph (about an 11 minute mile) which to those of you who are REAL runners you will know, this ain't so fast.
However I have discovered something utterly fantastic when I go running in the park. All those other running fools, they are pulling for me, and for all the other runners out there. That's right, they know what it's like to actually drag your butt to the park and run that big, fat circle, while dodging goose poop and breathing in exhaust from cars. They know the sacrifice, they want me to succeed. They helped me run up the hill past the zoo not just once but twice yesterday. Twice! (FYI the zoo hill is like, totally hard for me but I am slowly--literally slowly--improving). And even when my iPod died not even half way through my run I kept going, because I felt the support vibe. They thought I could do it. I didn't want to get kicked out of the secret runners are awesome club.
See I set this goal for myself about a year and a half ago that I would run in a 5K race in 2005 (well, that didn't happen, for unforseen reasons like, I was too lazy, drank too much whiskey, and ate too many breakfast burritos at Pete's Kitchen at 2:15 a.m.) and so I reset the goal for the '06 and told people I wanted to do it (oh accountability factor how you motivate me) and now I am going to be running in a 5K on May 14. And the best part of this 5K (well there are a few best parts): 1. There is free beer AND hot dogs after it; 2. It's sponsored by the Rockies so each runner gets two free tix to a future game; and 3. Free t-shirt. 4. Post-Race Party in Coors Field!
Not only that but a bunch of us Denverites are going to be running in relay teams or volunteering during the Colorado Colfax Marathon on May 21st. Most exciting, I know! And yes, there will be a big party after that in our backyard with beer, whiskey, hot dogs and maybe even ice cream cake.
And that's whatta gotta say 'bouts that.
3 comments:
I am so impressed, that's freakin' awesome!! I was never into running all that much, so folks that do have my admiration somethin' crazy!
Awesome! Wish I could push my lazy butt off the couch and do something like that!
Dodging goose poop eh? That was funny!
Congratulations on the goal. In January my sis-in-law and I ran in a non-competitive 7 Km run. It is a wonderful feeling to cross that finish line. I found that running for a charity was a big motivation for me, especially when my body and my brain were asking me why I was causing myself so much pain.
A really good stretching/warm up and meditation routine also helps when you hit the hump about two weeks into training.
Looking forward to more posts on this topic :)
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