Running Revelations

This is the LAST week of our running clinic! Can't believe it's almost over...can't believe I've made it this far! I am just T-minus 5 days from my first 5K. (And, yes, I did say "first" on purpose. Trying, trying to convince myself to stick with it...)

We really did have a good session this morning and I made some big discoveries:

1. Long-sleeved t-shirt and shorts: Best running outfit. 56 degrees: Best running weather.

2. Even disciplined, seasoned runners wake up for an early run and think, "Dangit. I just knew it was going to be raining." This could, perhaps, be the most affirming discovery of this year. I thought real runners always wanted to run. Who knew that they are big slugs like the rest of us? (Although, unlike the rest of us, they are big slugs with nice firm tushies.)

3. I am going to look way more legit out there on the track with my first race shirt on.

4. It feels great when someone slows down to run alongside you. When I first realized how much our clinic leaders were having to hold back in order to run with us, it was fairly humiliating. Now I choose to embrace the comraderie and realize that everyone has to adjust their pace a little to stay with the group. (There's a sermon in there somewhere!)

5. Running shorts with built-in panties are my new-found love. So much so that I am considering sewing undergarments into all my other pants. They don't ride up! They don't show over the top of your shorts! They are always right there when you are getting dressed! One down side, however: if you keep putting your shortswiththebuiltinpanty in the dryer, eventually the panty part shrinks up so much that you cannot pull the shorts up all the way. And there you are, running with your crack hanging out.

Still waiting for this revelation: What do I eat before I run? So far I have been running so early that I don't even bother, but the 5K is at 8am, and there's no way I can put off breakfast that long.

Track Musings

My beginner's running group meets on Thursday mornings (did I mention this is at 5:30am? No? Oh, it is. That's really early, in case you did not know). Even though it was cold again, it was nice to be outside in the not-rain. The track is right in the middle of town, so you get to experience the whole place waking up: the birds are getting warmed up, the traffic starts to buzz, the lights begin to flicker on up and down Main Street and Caraway.

So far, I am really enjoying the training program we are using. I definitely feel like I'm being pushed, but not pushed so far that I fear I might collapse in a heap on the asphalt. Most of the time, I'm comfortable enough that I can let my mind wander. This morning I had all manner of profound thoughts that I wanted to write about. I mean, so many deep insights that I was going to make a list of them so I would have months of blog fodder.

Then, just as we wrapped up our session, the leader said, "Hey, we got in a full 3 miles today."
Three miles. And then every profound thought I had went to the four winds. For the first time, I actually believe I will be able to complete this training program. Feel free to say, "you go, girl" at this point, even though that's really outdated. Has some new phrase replaced that one? I would like to start using it, if so.

Down side to this revelation: It is only 8:50 and I am already a little sore. Off to find the ibuprofen for a preemptive strike.