What is this, Summertime?
The apocolypse is near. It’s seventies and cloudless on October 30th. I’m not complaining though. Another beautiful day to run. Philip and I ran our longest run yet on Saturday. 10 miles in the can. We were hesitant to do it because of very high winds and the fact that it was Saturday, a natural day to feel lazy, but it had been on my mind that we should run a long run together and when i’ve been thinking about it for several days straight it’s hard to put it off even more. So we we went out, high winds and all. It was enjoyable and not too taxing except for the last mile where we were running dead against the wind. Wind makes me angry enough as it is because of its ability to make putting one foot in front of the other so difficult but when you’re finishing the last mile of many and you can’t breath because it’s being knocked out of you by a force you can only feel and not see, that’s maddening. I had runner’s wind rage I guess.
The wind was better yesterday so I went out for four and 1/2 miles. They were quick and easy and i’d wished i’d kept time by the end because I felt like it would have been a speed record setter for me. Oh well, I’m not in it for speed.
I’m going to go out and enjoy our fine October weather with a six miler. I hope it doesn’t throw me off too much to be running in a tank top and shorts with Christmas music blasting. I’m never not in the mood for Christmas music, even when it feels like June. And i’ll have you know that Selah’s powerful rendition of Oh Holy Night is a fantastic energy booster.
OK, I’m a slacker
I slacked today. I got out to run intending to do six miles and within one minute convinced myself that four would be sufficient. Just like that I had made up my mind and there was no going back. No real reason, just didn’t feel like putting forth an effort. It was a fast four miles though, if that makes up for my lack of discipline at all. I was chilly and listening to Christmas music on my mp3 player just made me want to be on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate.
I’m excited about tonight. We’re having a slew of people over to watch VT whoop up on Clemson. Ok I really don’t have that much faith in Tech right now but I’ll try to write like I do. There’s very little confidence behind that “whoop up” but you wouldn’t have known that except I just told you. Every couple of years I don’t mind giving Tech a little break on the pressure to perform like they’re #1 – which they have only come close to being my freshman year. But they could at least play like they’re a top ten team, is that too much to ask? Our poor thug players. All talk and no follow-through.
That was mean of me. I haven’t had a quiet time yet today and the way my thoughts are coming out it’s fairly obvious. Vicious. Nasty. yes, I have that in me. I know it surprises you.
Why Candy is Great Running Fuel
It’s Halloween season. Over the weekend I bought over twenty dollars worth of candy for trick-or-treators. Philip looked at the cart, looked at me, and then looked at the cart again. “Why are you buying so much candy?” I had prepared my defense from the first step down the candy aisle. “Because it’s Halloween!!! I want to give candy out to trick-or-treators!!” He backed away slowly and said nothing more. Ok so the candy corn and Reeses cups were not exactly for children dressed up as ghosts and goblins, but a little candy in the house of a half-marathoning couple never hurt anyone. I find that eating candy gives me more mental motivation to go for a long run than most other foods. That little piece of chocolate and peanut butter needs about half a mile to burn. As soon as it is digested I regret it. But I won’t not eat it. It’s a vicious cycle.
I ran nine miles again today. They were much less demanding than the first time. I was rather impressed. It was even cold and windy and I managed to run without ever feeling like I was going such a long distance. Probably because the Reeses I ate this morning were keeping me warm. It’s sort of like Premium gasoline vs. Unleaded. The unleaded is cheaper and will get you there but the Premium has that extra element that’s almost worth it. To me candy is premium running fuel and healthy foods like vegetables and pasta are cheap substitutes. Hmmm, I guess if I ever want to be published in Runner’s World I need to stop writing my true feelings about health and running. Or maybe I can have my own column titled “Lindsey’s Very Poor and Utterly Wrong Running Advice.”
