28 July Long Run – 8 miles

So this was the long run that I was anticipating. I was worried enough about it to not sleep well the night before, almost as if I had to sit the O Level Chinese exam again. I kept waking up and my heart beat quite rapidly throughout the night. I also had the strangest dream about being a match-stick (??) that had to get downtown from the Bronx and who refused to get a ride from a rat.

Anyway – I kept making excuses about not going on the run, or at least not running the entire distance. It was pretty pathetic, though I did hurt quite badly from playing tennis yesterday. When I got up at about 6.30, my quads were suffering from quite major muscle ache from yesterday’s tennis foot-work. I ended up going out of the house after letting Sourdough out of the crate, but I wasn’t too optimistic that I’d make the 8 miles.

I plodded for about three miles, doing the usual one mile loops around the neighborhood. I saw the regular Asian old ladies duo who don’t ever return my smile. I’ll persist until I get a response from them. I really can’t remember what I was thinking about except that running doesn’t really hurt the quads and so the muscle ache was quite irrelevant. But I also realized that the back of my legs were hurting. I spent quite a lot time trying to remember the name of the muscle – and I did just as I completed the third mile. But I’ve forgotten it again. The other thing I thought about: the possible objections to psychoanalysis in my dissertation, especially how I’m going to use Freud’s Death of the Father and the Return of the Repressed in this chapter. I need to do it in a manner that doesn’t exalt psychoanalysis as biblical truth, just useful insight. After completing each round I was struck by how many more I had to do if I was going to grind out 8 miles doing the familiar loop.

After round three, I ended up doing the 4.5 Hawk Island route. This turned out to be a good decision. There was more traffic to look out for, thus distracting me from the pain, and once I got to the Park, there were actually quite a few people, mainly walking and largely above 60, walking around the Park. At the beginning of the run I was listening to “Raising Sand”, and it’s quite a nice slogging album. I especially like the song about the Fortune Teller, and I laugh out loud every time Robert Plant delivers the punch-line. Anyway, on the way to the Park, the album ran out so I randomly searched through my ipod and listened to Sonny Stitt blow his horn. What kept me going in the Park was the great scenery, the mirror-like lake, the cool forest segment, the people I met along the way that said “Hi”. I met this girl that I recognize from my runs around the neighborhood. She strides quite impressively, of course, and I think she was running the 4.5 Hawk Island route as well. Anyway, she was just entering the Park when I was leaving, and we exchanged “Hellos”.

So, leaving the Park, two things happened, My ipod went into “hang mode” and I held on a really long time before I managed to get it reset. Second. my legs were going on me. My calves, quads, and those muscles at the back of my legs whose names I remembered then forgot were really hurting. I slowed down considerably on the return route to Dover’s Crossing. I did however, manage to hold out and ran what I know to be about 0.6 of a mile in order to make up the full 8 mile distance.

I will say that I’m relieved that I did it. I had a strange sensation walking into the apartment and sipping water after the slog. It seemed that the air smelled really fragrant. Maybe it was a Margery Kempe moment but I suspect it had to do with all the chemicals flushing through my system. I’m still pretty elated – and this is about half and hour after the run, which I warmed down from, as usual, by walking Sourdough a mile.

26 July Medium Run – 4.5 miles

So, here are some thoughts about yesterday’s run.  It was a “medium” distance run, so I didn’t really feel too anxious about it.  However, I when woke up about 6.30, ready to run, I felt pretty low on energy and bloated.  This must have been the result of eating too much the day before (Friday).  Half a mufalletta for lunch and chicken wings for dinner is too much food.

I ran the “Hawk Island” route, which is a very nice route.  It was my second time running it so I was still quite excited about it.  When I started out the door, I immediately felt the ache in my legs.  Throughout the first mile or so, I was thinking a lot about what it meant to have been a teacher in Singapore.  I re-visited several scenes and thought about how I might have done a better job.  But by the time I hit the main road that leads to the park, I was more focused on looking out for traffic and crossing safely.  I can’t recall what I was thinking about as I ran to the park, except that there were no cars on a Saturday morning.  I think only one car passed me as I jogged.

I listened, throughout this run, to Oliver Nelson’s “Blues and the Abstract Truth”.  As I ran in the park, I kept looking at the track titles, and this was a nice distraction.  There wasn’t much going on in the park – no people fishing or swimming in the lake.  I guess it was too early.  I was really peaceful though.  I passed a single couple who was walking around the running / cycling route.

My next run – is supposed to be an 8 mile “long” run.  I’m not sure if I’ll grind out eight “one miles” around the neighborhood, or try to incorporate the 4.5 “Hawk Island” route into the run.  One thing’s for sure – I’m not going to eat too much today!

You’ve Got to Be Kidding …

Ok – I know this is crazy – to have a running journal.  After all, it’s just exercise, and since I hate doing it – what’s the point of writing about it.  It’s not something that I’m passionate about or even enthusiastic about.  I just have to do it, cause I don’t want to end up being too much of a blob.

So – I keep seeing these things – about how keeping a running journal keeps you on track, focused and motivated, and I decided that I’d do one just for fun.  It might make running a little more acceptable, if no less painful.

So – my starter’s goal is to run long enough to cover the distance that would constitute a half marathon.  I’m not that far from it (I think), as I’ve been running consistently for more than a year now, and recently began a half-marathon running schedule.

I’m at 7 miles, so we’ll take it from there!