26.2: Miles, or Degrees Below Zero
It’s 8° outside, and I’m heading out for my long run. My wife thinks I’m crazy. My daughter thinks I’m crazy. Heck, I’m questioning my sanity too. But what choice do I have? My training plan says that I need to run nine miles today, so I need to do just that. As a first-time marathon runner, glue would be jealous of how I stick to my schedule. I could take to the treadmill, or the indoor track, but the thought of running this week’s long-run on the treadmill- well, I can’t bear the thought… I dress up in several layers, then change several of them in favor of heavier layers, and head out the door. No, actually, not yet… first I need to undress once again, like a kid getting into and out of their snowsuit, to take care of nature’s call. The first step out the door takes my breath away, but I’m ready. I start out slowly. Maybe I do this because that’s what all the running literature says to do, and maybe it’s because my first mile is entirely uphill… you can be the judge. It’s hard to suck air through my balaclava, but I’m happy for the warmth it provides. It’s so cold outside that my hand warmers are shivering and asking to go back
inside the house. The only exposed skin I have is around my eyes, and by the time I’ve gone ¾ mile, my eyelids have icicles on them. Not just normal icicles, but ones that would make Yukon Cornelius proud. Come to think of it, as long as I’m on a Rudolf theme, perhaps I should mention that my nose is now probably redder than his ever was. All of this may sound ridiculous, but the more ridiculous part is that I do this for fun, and actually enjoy doing it. I started running just two years ago. I honestly don’t recall why. If I had to guess, it would be to lose weight. Yes, I lost some weight, but while losing weight, I found that I lost something even better- When I run, I lose myself. The sound of my breathing and my feet hitting the ground mesmerize me and the miles just fly by. Well, usually they do… but when it’s 8° outside, the only thing flying by is my desire for more tissues. I haven’t begun to work on the “snot rocket” technique that most runners utilize. Perhaps I’ll try this technique when spring comes and I can finally pry the frozen balaclava off of my face. In the meantime, my training schedule waits patiently to be picked up again tomorrow…
inside the house. The only exposed skin I have is around my eyes, and by the time I’ve gone ¾ mile, my eyelids have icicles on them. Not just normal icicles, but ones that would make Yukon Cornelius proud. Come to think of it, as long as I’m on a Rudolf theme, perhaps I should mention that my nose is now probably redder than his ever was. All of this may sound ridiculous, but the more ridiculous part is that I do this for fun, and actually enjoy doing it. I started running just two years ago. I honestly don’t recall why. If I had to guess, it would be to lose weight. Yes, I lost some weight, but while losing weight, I found that I lost something even better- When I run, I lose myself. The sound of my breathing and my feet hitting the ground mesmerize me and the miles just fly by. Well, usually they do… but when it’s 8° outside, the only thing flying by is my desire for more tissues. I haven’t begun to work on the “snot rocket” technique that most runners utilize. Perhaps I’ll try this technique when spring comes and I can finally pry the frozen balaclava off of my face. In the meantime, my training schedule waits patiently to be picked up again tomorrow…
No comments:
Post a Comment