Generally speaking, I don't think people imagine a lot of moisture when they picture Hell in their mind's eye, but the weather in Ann Arbor right now is a runner's nightmare. Don't get me wrong, I live for hot, humid summers, but I never did develop those gills I'd been wanting, and therefore can't breathe underwater. That's exactly what it feels like I'm trying to do, not to mention it's eleventy billion degrees out until about 9:30 pm. Since it's been getting darker earlier, it's not really convenient to start running at 9:00 anymore. Plus a retired police officer scared the living daylights out of me at the park the other night, convincing me that I was not going to make it back to my car alive. The thickening fog and sound of my lonely footsteps cranked up the anxiety to 11, and I will absolutely never run at dusk again. Ever.
Tonight I geared up and walked out the door at 8:20pm--plenty of time before dark...kind of. Just as I plugged my headphones into my ears a spectacular bolt of lightning shot through the sky and a big, fat plop of rain landed on the scrolly part of my iPod. Crap.It was coming down pretty hard as I walked the block back home, and it was way too humid to even consider getting on the elliptical without air conditioning, so I did the only thing I could think to do--I paid someone to let me run inside. That's right, I exchanged money for permission to do this. Washtenaw County offers the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center with a 1/12 mile indoor track. The facility is clean and beautiful, and it smells like chlorine. Isn't it funny how sensing a pool close by makes you happy inside?
I'd never been there before, and I spent the drive there trying to imagine what 1/12 of a mile looked like. It sounded kind of short, like I'd make myself dizzy trying to run a couple miles. I managed to stay upright, so it obviously wasn't that bad. Once again I plugged my white headphones into my brain and started at it. "I am on lap one" I repeated to myself as I began.
The first half mile was CAKE. I barely broke a sweat as I mentally chanted "I am on lap seven." It was even kind of fun to take turns looking out at the gorgeous rainy night and down to the volleyball games below. And then I saw it: this Viking hardcore BONKED on a serve.
I mean, it was bad. He made a really valiant effort, stroking his tow-colored beard before tossing the ball up for the jump. But that thing had no loft whatsoever. It just bolted straight forward from his palm and dead into the bottom of the net. Now, I had been watching the game prior to this and I really don't mean to criticize. Mr. the Red seemed to be a very good volleyball player, overall, and his game was considerably better than what I could have offered the team. This serve was just plain off.
"I am on lap twelve."
I hit my mile and then I started to feel the burning in my legs and lungs. There was a slight adrenaline/endorphine/giddiness/completely legal rush at "I am on lap fourteen" that lasted until about sixteen and then I started to tire again. But I just shuffled through songs and kept pressing on. And on and on. I even sprinted through a few of the twenties.
And so, for tonight's final tally:
24 minutes consecutive running
7 minutes walking
power band thigh exercises
The goal for next time: 26 minutes.
3 comments:
Great job, Angela! Hitting that two mile mark is always pretty exciting.
I used to run at the Rec Center, too, a long time ago. You're right about it being, in general, a great place to work out (especially if it's pouring outside). I think my only complaints about it were that occasionally you'd run into people who insisted on walking two (or three) abreast which would block the path and force you continually to slow down/stop and then speed back up again.
The other minor problem was that when you start getting up in distance, that 12th of a mile does get pretty short and it begins to feel like you are constantly turning in the same direction, which can put a bit of a strain on the knees and ankles.
That all being said, I gotta say that I'm really proud of you finding a way to continue your training despite the weather. A lot of people would just have used it as an excuse to take a day off. And we all know how easily a day here and there can turn into a week and then a month of no running.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Greg! I did notice my right knee (I was running counter-clockwise) felt a little strained. It was kind of funny because I was thinking about how they change directions on the track every other day and wondering why. I thought maybe it had something to do with preventing wear patterns on the track, but then I realized it was more about wear on the bodies.
Hey, Angie!
Virtually all indoor gyms alternate track direction each day, to mitigate the pounding on your joints. The indoor tracks are angled/banked at the turns to guide you more easily around the turns (normal force imposed by the track contributes partially to centripetal acceleration on your body thru the turn). The problem here is that a disproportionate part of you weight gets shifted to the inside leg on the turn, creating 25-30% more shear and stress on the inside leg/joints.
Ok-enough of the physics ;) This blog is VERY cool; I have been reading it for the past few days, and finally had the time today to leave a message.
I think that this is a great way to stay in shape thru the summer, and contribute to the UM Hospital/CS Mott.
Group running can be a great way to pass the time more easily during the run. I am curious to see/hear how the running 101 class works for you ... I will continue to turn into your blog, all-the-same. Keep up the great work with your training !! Matt B.
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