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Month: August 2009

bad math post-tri

bad math post-tri

This past weekend was the world’s largest triathlon, so come 4am, I was at Monroe Harbor “body-painting” — taking permanent markers to strangers’ arms and calves to write on them their registrant and wave numbers.  Apparently it’s no longer necessary to do this, but many tri event organizers still do out of respect for the tradition.  (Think of the marathon’s pre-race pasta binge fest: you don’t have to eat boat-loads pasta in advance of a long run or your big race, yet tradition always seems to win out.  I guess eating rice or potatoes just smacks of disrespect).

Post-body-marking fun, I was shufflin’ along on what was meant to be a 13-miler that had eluded me on Saturday a.m., since I had committed a classic novice ill and chugged a bit too much Gatorade immediately before I began running: my GI system didn’t appreciate that, at all. Anyway, Chicago had unbelievably cool August weather on Sunday, so it made for a very relaxed, refreshing long run.  And to boot, I ran on the lakefront’s south side, from Roosevelt to La Rabida and back.  Apparently my math faculties failed me, for my planned 13-mile trek morphed into 15 miles, and I wasn’t the wiser.  [It wasn’t until nearly 20 minutes after I finished my run, when I couldn’t figure out why my time made my 13-mile run seem so slow, that I realized that my math was off.]  Reason #1001 why running buddies are a good idea…

All told, an enjoyable Sunday stroll.

Breaking 1k

Breaking 1k

It’s probably a by-product of being a Millenial, but I find the desire to celebrate accomplishments, no matter how minor, and this is especially true for running.  Anything that screams “progress,” I have to cheer on.  That said, my total distance covered in any year becomes like a unicorn pursuit, and yesterday’s run took me over the 1,000 mile mark for total miles run in 2009.  Rock the fuck on.

I’ve got to add that not everyone believes that more mileage is better.  The FIRST method actually preaches the opposite– that less running reaps more results, when coupled with heart-pumping cross-training–and for some people’s biological or muscular conditions, their bodies simply can’t handle the miles.  I’m somewhere in between.  My IT bands begin to break around 50 mpw, so I’ve learned (through trial and error) that I most def need to respect that line.

The many steps we take in each run, seeing our long runs get longer, our paces faster, our enjoyment in one of the only sports that can truly link us to our ancestors… this sport gives us much to celebrate.  We mustn’t ever lose sight of this truth.