Dec 9, 2007

avoiding the treadmill

at all costs.

today was my 19 mile long run. it was going to be another rainy one. and while the one and only thing i hate about running is running in the rain, i hate the treadmill more. i pride myself on the fact that i am now into training for marathon number 3, i have set foot on a treadmill only once. that one time was enough. i will run in any weather. i will get up at 4 am in the summer to beat the heat. i will bundle up against the cold. i will wear a windbreaker thing in the rain. the one thing i can't protect myself from? lightning.

so this morning, i'm running. i'm running. and i've got my head down and i'm in a nice little zone. a surprisingly happy place even though i'm going slower than i'd like. i'm only 5 miles into run. i feel good. i'm saving the best for the second half. and then, the sky lights up a bit. but my head was down, i had a cap on & i wasn't sure if i imagined it. there it goes again. shit. lighting. oh, and now the thunder. perfect. this is perfect. and now i am thinking that if it gets really bad, i will have to finish this run on the treadmill. i pick up the pace to try and cover as much ground as possible, in an attempt to lessen the miles i imagine having to plod through on that vile machine. the sky lights up a few more times. but i never see that big lightning bolt sort of a flash. so i think i'm good to go. and the sky never lights up again. phew. in the clear.

and then around mile 9, the skies open up and it is a torrential downpour. i am soaked to the bone. i'm cold. and i really want to be home. but it is raining so hard, that i once again wonder if i am going to have to stop this run and finish it on the treadmill. i start calculating how far i am from home, how many miles are left. and doing all this math in my head takes up a nice chunk of time. but then i think over my dead body am i going home, warming up, waiting for gym to open at noon and plugging through 6 or 7 miles on a treadmill. i'm already cold, wet & miserable, may as well suck it up and stay that way.

and at this point where i have resigned myself to the lesser of two evils - running in a torrential downpour as opposed to the mill; a snazzy lexus pulls up beside me and i'm a little creepd out, but i think hannibal lechter doesn't drive a lexus, i'm not going to get tossed into the back of this car & chopped up into tiny bits. so then i think maybe its a friend. but i don't have any lexus driving friends. the window rolls down, and a woman pops her head out, and says "now that's dedication". and all i can do is laugh. and smile. the window goes up & she drives away. and her comment keeps me going until the downpour stops. and then there is another downpour, but i am too far into this run now. but it clears up and i'm thrilled when i hit the hills because it just means i am 4 miles from home. i did it. mother nature could not force me onto a treadmill today. she tried though.

and i think, is it dedication? or insanity?
i'm leaning towards insanity.

10 comments:

Nancy said...

I love a compliment like that. You deserved it, Girlie. Way to go.

Do you want to submit 8 of these glorious miles for the 8 on the 8th Race??? Drop me an email and I'll include you in the results...

Gotta Run..... said...

Do you really want to know what I think??? Nuts ... that is what you are... but I love it!!! So many of us crazies out there... isn't it great?

No treadmill for you!!

Unknown said...

That's EXACTLY how I felt last Sunday! There actually were a few other crazies running in that stuff, but it sure wasn't fun. Good for you!

Tall Girl Running said...

It's sick, I know, but I actually love getting stares from people when I'm out running in bad weather. The stares that say, "are you crazy??". Because, hell yeah, you better believe I'm crazy. And oh yeah... I'm also a marathoner.

Way to go, ya crazy thang.

zanne said...

i know ... it was crazy. there was a point at which i was just laughing at the absurdity of running in that weather. but as cold as i was and as much as i wanted to be home ... i wanted a good long run even more. and if i look past the misery of the cold & rain, it was actually a really, really good run.

Frayed Laces said...

Insanity all the way. To quote my sister "you're an idiot". But heck, that's what makes us awesome women, right? Strangers look to us for inspiration. Way to go on your determination--I love being (electronically) surrounded by such strong women!

Jamie said...

It's dedications with a splash of insanity thrown in for some flavor! Way to get it done :)

monicac2 said...

Had my first half marathon this Sunday in the rain. I was so scared that it was going to be a total dowpour the entire time, but ended up with just light showers off and on. Not bad, and the run went great. Glad you had a good one, too (to, ahem, make this comment not ALL about me, LOL!).

Database Diva said...

The hardest thing about running in the rain is taking that first step out the door! Training in adverse conditions helps prepare you for adverse conditions during the race. Distance runners have to be both dedicated and a bit insane :D

Vickie said...

Insanity or dedication? Both. If it weren't for the ice, I'd be out there too! But I am getting used to the treadmill. Its something you have to ease into. And you won my virtual race BTW. So I use a LOT of visualization when I'm on one of those things for 8 miles!