Running again

If you follow me on Twitter or know me on Facebook, you'll know that my sister-in-law e-mailed me and told me that my training for the marathon last year inspired her to sign up to get back in shape (like me, she was a swimmer for umpty-ump years) by training for the Columbus Half-Marathon through Team in Training. I don't know I've ever inspired anyone to do anything before in my life. Usually I'm the bad example no one tries to emulate. And yes, I completely get the fact that you non-runners in my life think that my marathon training was not an inspiration, but another of my bad examples to be avoided. ::grin:: But C. actually thinks it was inspiring (and yes, given that she's related to D., who was crazy enough to marry me, she probably has questionable mental stability in her blood, as well). And I think that's totally cool. So cool, in fact, that I am seriously considering training to run it with her. The very first endurance event I ever ran was the Columbus Half-Marathon so it has a special place in my heart (plus, it's a nice, flat course).

With this in mind and after being inspired by the movie double feature last night at one of my running coach's house (Spirit of the Marathon and Run Fatboy Run), I thought I should probably get my sorry self back out on the road running again since averaging a run twice a month is not a particularly good training plan. So today I proved once again that my learning curve is steep and possibly even slower than my running pace.

Let's just say that the high point was outrunning a gecko. Yes, I can outrun a tiny, three inch lizard, even though his legs were spinning fast enough to look like the Road Runner outrunning Wile E. Coyote. It was pretty much all downhill from there (or maybe I should say uphill since there seemed to be few downhills on the route I chose to run). For starters, as one loathe to forgo the pleasures of sleep, I broke the cardinal rule of hot weather running: I headed out the door for the run after 10:30am, right into the obnoxious heat and high humidity of an 80 some degree day. Not pleasant at all. I was quickly a red-faced, sweaty, roly-poly ball of mental breakdown on legs. Yeah, I actually stopped to walk three times (and guzzle water two of the three) on a mere 3 mile run. And yes, I ran that mere three miles with my water belt, because I'm not completely stupid (we're probably looking at a 90/10 split with the 10 being smarts).

The third time I stopped to walk, I looked down and noticed how nice and trim I look. NOT! The pot belly hanging over the water belt is a charming feature. It makes me look like I should be waddling along like a pregnant woman instead of plodding along the side of the road like a heat stroke victim. (And before any of you misread that, I am most emphatically not pregnant--just fat.)

Then I admired the steaks of foundation colored sun screen streaking the front of my shirt. It may have claimed it was "Very water resistant" but it clearly didn't take into account the Niagara Falls of sweat I produce just a nanosecond into exercising. So much for decent skin protection while running (of course, earlier in the morning will afford more shade over the roads, but that's for another day).

And while I laughed last night while watching Run Fatboy Run and seeing him describe the itchy rash on his "scrotal region" to all and sundry, I completely discounted the need for Body Glide for a mere 3 miler. Of course, I also underestimated the amount of time any and all sweaty bits would be rubbing together as well as the humidity index for the day. Suffice it to say, if I had a "scrotal region," it would have a rash right now. As it is, I just suffer from inner thigh chafing. Chub rub doesn't feel nice and it isn't pretty. And boy howdy, I can't wait until it scabs up. So much fun looming in my near future! But I'll be investing in Body Glide by the vat again, I can tell.

As I finally limped back to my house after this most pitiful of all runs, I realized that I have a long way to go before I can actually commit to signing up for this half. In the next few months we'll have to see if I can actually haul myself around the roads regularly and be in some semblence of physical shape not resembling a circle. Then and only then will I commit. In the meantime, for those of you who want to help support my sis-in-law's efforts and the amazing Team in Training in their fight against Leukemia and Lymphoma, be sure to click and make a donation and be sure to tell her I sent you.