Yeah, I was walking this morning, just finishing 4 miles, supposedly easy run. I was hot and my legs tired, so yeah, I walk. I am walking now, two dogs. Maybe I misunderstood, maybe I didn't hear right - that seems to be a constant these days. Do you go to the run with the dogs? Of course, I do. Really? They run well? Oh wow, misunderstood so how do I play this one off. Oh well, they run okay. This whole listening comprehension stuff has become such a challenge as the months proceed ahead closer to the big 5-0. Well the whole "the run" thing threw me off but I should have realized that I was still in my running stuff, still sweating after the run or another hot flash. No idea anymore, running during the summer with all sorts of internal heat waves, the sweat is nonstop. Whatever.
Do you run with music or nature? I used to depend on something blaring in my head. For the Philly Half, headphones were banned for insurance reasons so I tried to run without. I saw a handful of people who must have missed that detail and were in blissful head escape. I didn't think that I would really make it without, but I had other issues during that half, I don't even remember if I missed headphones. Doubtful. That was my first half, which I didn't train for at all, so all things considered I finished, did fine but my body really was done for. Had a terrible night's sleep, too early a start, freezing cold but then it started. What fun, running through the old haunts, watching some woman relieving herself under the Franklin Bridge, only to turn the corner to see the port-o-potties, right there! In conclusion, an iPod was not necessary, especially after hitting a wall at mile 9, didn't really care about anything other than finishing.
Shorter races in Central Park, I liked having a distraction from the endless chatter of fellow runners along the courses. Now? I like the chatter, the huffing and puffing, feeling the competition in the air as I "jog" to the finish. I only started signing up for "races" after two years of running on the dreadmill. I was "young" then, feeling good, running well, working out everyday. I was such a wreck, nervous, in the bathroom prior to every race, dragging my partner with me, early. Hold my stuff, waiting in line with me at the potties. Asking random people at work if they wanted to run with, sign up. What a trip that was. Soon I would just sign up and go alone, finish and head right home. Then I blew my calf out. That was the beginning of multiple problems with my legs and feet.
There are days that I wish I had started younger, been motivated to exercise, to run, to do something other than party, smoke, eat and just be stupid. It wasn't until I was well over 200 lbs, single, that I realized that I better get busy and take the weight off and get happy again. Now that I am almost 50, the aches and pains from running are annoying, slowing down, not PR-ing anymore. Physically therapy for 12 weeks for my calf, the pain was overwhelming, then back to the pod dr. for plantar's fasciitis. That has never really gone completely away, flairs up. Nerve ending weird stuff in my feet, numbness of the toes, back to the sports dr. Black nails, blisters and now a twinge in my hip. What is going on? "do you walk" cannot run anymore, hip replacement after running his one and only marathon. O-M-G!!! My hip has a slight ache, what is this? I try to stretch my hip flexors but not enough stretching going on, I must confess. Any ache concerns me, so imagine? I am concerned 24/7, gosh, aging is rough. Who knew? I didn't.
Okay the run today was a semi-easy one. I ran 4 miles outside, going north on the eastside, not so hot, it was 5:45 a.m. but humid, of course. I proceeded up 2nd Avenue to 69th and saw that the 2nd Avenue subway had made it to 69th Street, wow. That was fast. I wonder if I will see it down my way in my life time, who knows! I went over to 1st Avenue and started the decend down to 27th Street. I was going at a slower pace than usual, with headphones this morning, listening to the same four songs over and over again. It's odd, because 4 miles is usually simple, but I have this thing, I can't push myself for the last mile, it's so weird. Once a therapist told me that I have issues about ending things, that's why for years I hadn't finished a novel, always stopped a few pages before the end. Losing interest before then, so odd. I did five the other day and getting from 4 miles to 5 was a chore. In my head, I think, well I will stop at 4.80, walk the last bit to cool down like I read somewhere. Where? I don't remember. Today was different, in my head, I figured that I would run over 2.0 mile mark so when I hit the 4.0 mile mark, I will walk the last bit, so running nonstop for 4 miles follows the training program. I have just decided that I am way too much in my head about running.
Podcasts are a cool thing to listen to while running. I love Two Gomers, they are so real, funny, entertaining but really determined and motivated. They motivate me and take my mind off of all the aches that I THINK that I have while running. Marathon Training Academy is another one that I find easy to listen to, Running with the Pack, as well. Oh I listen to others but won't mention them all right now. I realize now that I haven't seen a new podcast from Running with the Pack, Stevie and Allan are so much fun to listen to, give me ideas for fuel and hydration. I can't get the fueling thing together, gels are kind of grody. One of the two Gomers has a problem with the consistency of gu. I have to agree. Hammer is less sweet, but it's still gel. I read that dried fruit works well but in this humidity, it's so gross to handle. I get the gel all over as well while running, I don't like that sticky feeling. I got one of those Camelbak hydropacks. Last Saturday I had a long run of 10 and ran out of water, of course by the end. I am hoping that this week I will be better with the hydration and have some at the end of 12. A friend who is a marathoner suggested putting nuun tablets in the water. Oh so much better than gaterade, which kills my belly. I have such belly issues, don't know how to get my GI to calm down while hot flashing and running in the heat.
Next will be nutrition....
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