Distance: 7 miles
Song of the run: There's Your Trouble - Dixie Chicks
Wildlife: Geese in the mist rising off the supply ponds amongst water lilies.
Run notes:
A rainy day here in the northeast. Usually I wimp out on these types of days but I figured there's wasn't much of a difference being soaked due to sweat or rain. Originally I was only going to run 5 miles as I was supposed to go mountain bike riding this afternoon with my husband. However, after the rain started coming down even harder I realized that was not going to happen so I decided on six miles. Then it cleared and I figured seven was a good number.
Not sure why The Chicks came to mind today. I guess they were still in my head from the workout of yesterday.
HOW HIP ARE WE?
I was thinking about a conversation I had with my daughter about her date last night. She let me know quite clearly that she thought my concepts about what is and is not acceptable pretty archaic. In some ways I was offended, hell, I'm not that old. In other ways I was amused. I felt I had lived on the cutting edge and experienced the Vietnam war, the Summer of Love, and Woodstock. I came from the era of ultimate rebelliousness, so my ideas should seem hip. I think it just shows that no matter who we thought were, or how cool we were growing up, it doesn't matter.
The next generation is so involved in themselves, their space of time is the only thing that is pertinent. I am sure my daughter thinks how she lives her life and the things her friends experience are much more exciting than anything anyone has ever done in the past. I know, I felt the same way at that age. Yet, for all of that she listens much of the same music as her father and dresses ala Nirvana, which is a good 10-15 years old. So how much do we evolve?
I thought my parents didn't get any of it because they were too old to have ever been with it. I vowed never to get like them and yet here I am. Or not. I still think I am cooler than my parents. You always think you know more than your parents. The aspect of that just changes as you get older. I am sure my daughter looks at me that way. So in many ways the both of us, although we have opposing positions, are in the same place. We are still growing up.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
July 29
Distance: 8.5 miles
Song of the run: Sorry, none for today.
Run Notes:
This was a hard run today because of the weather. At 6:30A it was already a hot and sweaty run. Maybe I would break down and turn the A/C on when I got back home.
I began to think I would sweat off half my body weight as I went along flicking perspiration off my face. Then at the four mile mark I reached up and my face felt suddenly dry and flushed. I tried to remember the symptoms for dehydration and heatstroke. Okay, maybe I was getting melodramatic, but I had just read an article in Runner's World which talked about just this kind of scenario and I tend to worry about these things.
I slowed my pace and began to monitor my body a bit more. When I got to the turn off where I could head home or go for the longer run, I decided I'd be okay as long as I kept a slow steady pace and could keep bringing spit up into my mouth. (okay not a pleasant image but something I thought important at the time.) At the end of a hill on mile six, I felt like I was going to hit the wall. I walked for about a minute and thought about a park that was coming up in .5 miles where I could get a drink and cool off. Although I normally never drink from fountains ( I am an admitted germ-a-phobe), the water from that fountain tasted phenomenal. I cooled myself off and headed down the hill for home.
I know I was not really dehydrated but I think it was important that I listened to my body. Running on hot days can really take it out of you and there is the potential for overheating yourself to the point of dehydration and heatstroke. Now that I've cooled down and hydrated myself I've realized it's not so bad out there today. I think the A/C can stay in the off position.
D
P.S.
Don't forget to check out the article and pointers about running in the heat from Runner's World.
Song of the run: Sorry, none for today.
Run Notes:
This was a hard run today because of the weather. At 6:30A it was already a hot and sweaty run. Maybe I would break down and turn the A/C on when I got back home.
I began to think I would sweat off half my body weight as I went along flicking perspiration off my face. Then at the four mile mark I reached up and my face felt suddenly dry and flushed. I tried to remember the symptoms for dehydration and heatstroke. Okay, maybe I was getting melodramatic, but I had just read an article in Runner's World which talked about just this kind of scenario and I tend to worry about these things.
I slowed my pace and began to monitor my body a bit more. When I got to the turn off where I could head home or go for the longer run, I decided I'd be okay as long as I kept a slow steady pace and could keep bringing spit up into my mouth. (okay not a pleasant image but something I thought important at the time.) At the end of a hill on mile six, I felt like I was going to hit the wall. I walked for about a minute and thought about a park that was coming up in .5 miles where I could get a drink and cool off. Although I normally never drink from fountains ( I am an admitted germ-a-phobe), the water from that fountain tasted phenomenal. I cooled myself off and headed down the hill for home.
I know I was not really dehydrated but I think it was important that I listened to my body. Running on hot days can really take it out of you and there is the potential for overheating yourself to the point of dehydration and heatstroke. Now that I've cooled down and hydrated myself I've realized it's not so bad out there today. I think the A/C can stay in the off position.
D
P.S.
Don't forget to check out the article and pointers about running in the heat from Runner's World.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
July 28
Distance: 3 Miles
Song of the run: Stand - R.E.M.
Run Notes:
Short run since it is a weight lifting day. The roads are quiet and empty early in the morning. The cool air is refreshing after a hot night. Unfortunately it doesn't last long. By the first mile it had gotten hot and sticky and the cars began their journeys to work.
Summer morning run
Sluggish, sweaty, heavy legs
Lily pond, geese...done!
The Art of Running in the Road
A friend and I were having lunch when she spotted a runner out on the street. She knows I run, so she looked at me and asked "Why do people do that?" I explained that running on asphalt is easier on the feet than concrete since it offers a softer surface. It also allows better foot control and a more even terrain. She said she had always just thought the runners were out on the road because they were crazy. Well, maybe we are a little crazy but there is a real zen to running on the streets and living to tell the tale.
Run Facing Oncoming Traffic
Most drivers don't realize the more they look at you as you are coming their way the more their car veers towards you. Usually, they come to at the last moment and jerk the car the other direction but you can't always depend on that. The last time I ran in the same direction of traffic, a car went by so close I could have reached in and changed the radio station as their side view mirror brushed my jersey. Since then I've made it a practise to run facing traffic so I can jump out of the way if the car gets so close I can see the whites of their eyes.
Always Have an Exit Strategy
Surprisingly most drivers hate to move over for runners. They will move widely out of the way for abandoned cars, cats, and squirrels but for some reason they do not want to yield the road to a human being. Okay, an abandoned car is an immovable object; cats and squirrels are cute, but you'd think as a fellow homosapien they'd give you a bit more leeway. Elderly drivers, the ones who drive 20 mph at all times but never stop at signs or lights, are the most reluctant to move around a runner. School buses are the the second biggest villains in this scenario. They are great at avoiding small children but that instinct in those drivers does not seem to transfer over to adults. I understand when there is traffic in both lanes but when there is not another car in sight you would think they could go around you. In all fairness, there are many who will give you a wide arc and you should appreciate their consideration of your well being, but you learn to never assume it. Hence, it pays to know the route you run, stay as far over as you can and be willing to dive over guard rails if need be to avoid being hit.
Have A Thick Skin
Morning is my favorite time of day to run. During the summer you can avoid the heat and during the school year the buses. Morning is also the time when wildlife is most active. I have seen geese, deer, wild turkeys, turtles, and hedgehogs on my runs. These sightings make it worthwhile to haul my ass out of bed in the wee hours of the morn. One day, when the sky was a beautiful aqua and the air was cool, I was at the end of great eight miler going along making up a poem in my head as I passed the supply ponds. I had just seen the first signets of the season and life seemed wonderful. There were some cars backed up at the street light and as I passed one of them a man yelled "Bitch!" Well the poem immediately evaporated from my head and was replace by shock and then a nasty comeback. He was mad because he had to slow down a bit while I passed even though he had plenty of room to go by. This event led me to discern the following: most people seem to be angry during their early commutes. Maybe they are not morning people or they are running late but I've had people yell, honk, flip me off, and throw things at me. You learn to take into account the source of these actions and take it in stride (pun intended). If you take it too personally it will ruin your run.
You are sharing the road which can be a dangerous place for runners and drivers. You need to be aware at all times of the traffic and be just as courteous to drivers as you want them to be to you. Don't assume they see you, give them the right of way, and don't be rude. The streets may seem a harsh world. However it's one with a softer and more even terrain for my feet. I may be bit crazy for running in the road but it is my bit of daily enlightenment. I'll be out there again tomorrow.
Song of the run: Stand - R.E.M.
Run Notes:
Short run since it is a weight lifting day. The roads are quiet and empty early in the morning. The cool air is refreshing after a hot night. Unfortunately it doesn't last long. By the first mile it had gotten hot and sticky and the cars began their journeys to work.
Summer morning run
Sluggish, sweaty, heavy legs
Lily pond, geese...done!
The Art of Running in the Road
A friend and I were having lunch when she spotted a runner out on the street. She knows I run, so she looked at me and asked "Why do people do that?" I explained that running on asphalt is easier on the feet than concrete since it offers a softer surface. It also allows better foot control and a more even terrain. She said she had always just thought the runners were out on the road because they were crazy. Well, maybe we are a little crazy but there is a real zen to running on the streets and living to tell the tale.
Run Facing Oncoming Traffic
Most drivers don't realize the more they look at you as you are coming their way the more their car veers towards you. Usually, they come to at the last moment and jerk the car the other direction but you can't always depend on that. The last time I ran in the same direction of traffic, a car went by so close I could have reached in and changed the radio station as their side view mirror brushed my jersey. Since then I've made it a practise to run facing traffic so I can jump out of the way if the car gets so close I can see the whites of their eyes.
Always Have an Exit Strategy
Surprisingly most drivers hate to move over for runners. They will move widely out of the way for abandoned cars, cats, and squirrels but for some reason they do not want to yield the road to a human being. Okay, an abandoned car is an immovable object; cats and squirrels are cute, but you'd think as a fellow homosapien they'd give you a bit more leeway. Elderly drivers, the ones who drive 20 mph at all times but never stop at signs or lights, are the most reluctant to move around a runner. School buses are the the second biggest villains in this scenario. They are great at avoiding small children but that instinct in those drivers does not seem to transfer over to adults. I understand when there is traffic in both lanes but when there is not another car in sight you would think they could go around you. In all fairness, there are many who will give you a wide arc and you should appreciate their consideration of your well being, but you learn to never assume it. Hence, it pays to know the route you run, stay as far over as you can and be willing to dive over guard rails if need be to avoid being hit.
Have A Thick Skin
Morning is my favorite time of day to run. During the summer you can avoid the heat and during the school year the buses. Morning is also the time when wildlife is most active. I have seen geese, deer, wild turkeys, turtles, and hedgehogs on my runs. These sightings make it worthwhile to haul my ass out of bed in the wee hours of the morn. One day, when the sky was a beautiful aqua and the air was cool, I was at the end of great eight miler going along making up a poem in my head as I passed the supply ponds. I had just seen the first signets of the season and life seemed wonderful. There were some cars backed up at the street light and as I passed one of them a man yelled "Bitch!" Well the poem immediately evaporated from my head and was replace by shock and then a nasty comeback. He was mad because he had to slow down a bit while I passed even though he had plenty of room to go by. This event led me to discern the following: most people seem to be angry during their early commutes. Maybe they are not morning people or they are running late but I've had people yell, honk, flip me off, and throw things at me. You learn to take into account the source of these actions and take it in stride (pun intended). If you take it too personally it will ruin your run.
You are sharing the road which can be a dangerous place for runners and drivers. You need to be aware at all times of the traffic and be just as courteous to drivers as you want them to be to you. Don't assume they see you, give them the right of way, and don't be rude. The streets may seem a harsh world. However it's one with a softer and more even terrain for my feet. I may be bit crazy for running in the road but it is my bit of daily enlightenment. I'll be out there again tomorrow.
Monday, July 27, 2009
July 27
Since this is the first posting I guess I should impart some info about why this blog is appearing. I have been running most of my life. In 1999 I ran a marathon and then due to what seemed to be a series of injuries I have not seriously run since 2001. The final downfall to running was breaking my ankle. Last year I finally started running again and realized it is the time whan I do my best thinking while dodging cars on the road. So the blog seemed the next step.
This is not going to be a blog solely devoted to running. I will note the mileage and any interesting things that may occur during a run but will mainly concentrate on the thoughts that come to mind during the run.
I hope you enjoy it!
Song of the day: I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Distance: 7 miles
This is not going to be a blog solely devoted to running. I will note the mileage and any interesting things that may occur during a run but will mainly concentrate on the thoughts that come to mind during the run.
I hope you enjoy it!
Song of the day: I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Distance: 7 miles
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