Sunday, July 18, 2010

14 Miles of Nothing

Miles run today: 14  
Time: 2:04:29
Average pace: 8:53
Liquid consumed (water/Accelerade): 40 oz
Nutrition: 1 Razz Cliff Shot at mile 7
Pounds lost: 1.5
Temperature at finish: 80*
Bathrooms stops: 0
Number of tampons used: 1

Here’s me when I got back. Not too much worse for the wear (I just looked up this idiom because I have never used it before and wondered where the hell it came from: If something's worse for wear, it has been used for a long time and, consequently, isn't in very good condition. A person who's worse for wear is drunk or high on drugs and looking rough). No, I haven’t been used for a long time (well those frat boys might say different). I was not drunk or high, just missing part of my head:

P1070131

I know I should look forward to long runs, but sometimes I dread them. The bottom line is I am still afraid of feeling pain, fatigue and discomfort. You think I would have learned by now that I can and do run through the suffering. I have done it too many times to count in the past two years. I still, however, am afraid of failing. And fearful of the unknown.

I felt strong on this run,  if not a bit toasty. I started at 6:45 a.m Since Denver had a record high of 102* yesterday, I knew I should have gone earlier, but there is only so early I am going to voluntarily get up on a Sunday morning.  Especially when my kids were both at sleepovers. If I wasn’t a runner I would have partied down until the wee hours doing shots of tequila and would still be asleep right now. I guess this is better than tequila after all:

hygiene

Before a long run I often think I’m going to solve any problems I might have.  Then I am going to figure out my true career path. Then I might just brainstorm how to permanently stop the oil leak and have a vision about where Natalie Holloway’s body is. Truth of the matter is that after being out there for over two hours I have no clue what I thought about the whole time. It certainly wasn’t deep and awe-inspiring.

“I’m thirsty. Do I have enough water until I get to my refill spot? I think I’m getting a blister. It might be the shoes. Hey, there’s a helicopter. Is it time for my gel yet? Do I like this flavor? Maybe it will upset my stomach. Are there are a lot of tress around if I need to crap? I wish there were more trees. I need some shade. Wonder if the kids had fun. I need to buy artichoke hearts. Sad. There’s a dead cat in the road. That is someone's cat, not a stray. It has a collar. That family is going to have an awful Sunday. What’s that rustling the weeds? Snake? It’s Clair’s birthday. I need to call her. We’re out of dog food. HI! There’s another runner. She looks strong. I wonder what she is training for. I like her sport’s bra. Her boobs are bigger than mine.”

And so it goes. For two eff’ing hours. Endless brain chatter of no substance.

What do you think about when you run?

PS: I’ve got a great product review and some killer giveaways coming up, so stay tuned this week.

39 comments:

  1. What I think about when I run: "Am I done yet? No? Okay, how 'bout now? No? How much farther? It sure is hot. Am I done yet?..."

    ReplyDelete
  2. What do I think about? "Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot..."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ideally I find myself thinking about nothing during a run. Try to get into that zen-like state where I'm just listening to the music and my body is moving easily and without much thought. Often when I get to thinking on a run I start over-analyzing my aches and pains and lose the fun of the run under the weight of the injury anxiety.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think the same random things it sounds like you do.
    Just whatever pops into my head. Its nice and weird what pops in there. Random is fun :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have the same sort of random thoughts during long runs. It's so nice when I get to run with company, but I feel like I am a terrible conversationalist because I am used to just my crazy train of thought while running.

    ReplyDelete
  6. On most days, I think about ... "My boobs are a little sore." "Thank goodness they aren't any bigger. Can you imagine how hard it would be to run with bigger boobs?" "How do I make southern biscuits that are flat like my chest?" "My pace is like a 55 year-old-woman's pace."
    "Is summer over?" "It's hot!" "What should I cook later?"
    "What should I cook tomorrow/the day after tomorrow..."

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm still only a beginner runner, my longest runs being 6k so far, but I have the same very random thoughts lol, something along the lines of - this road is great, flat straight, perfect for motorcyclists, ooh, look at that single poppy, how pretty, how far have I gone now, wow, not far, oh no, a level crossing, I have to run over that?, god my stomach is cramping, hope I can make it back before I have to go, or I'll finally be joining the same club as Beth, I really need to walk, that might help the cramps, yeah, it's helping, time to run again, no I don't need a ride thank you mr, I'm doing this for fun, seriously, and on it goes lol.

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Dang it's hot out here, I wonder if I can ask that guy with the hose to point it at me without feeling like a freak."
    "That dogs asshole is puckering, I think he's going to poop and I don't see his owner carrying a bag, what a shame."
    "I think a lightening bug just ran into my sweaty shirt."
    "That is some nice landscaping, I wish our yard looked like that, whoops, while I was admiring the landscaped yard my sneaker hit a raised part of the sidewalk and I almost kicked it, nice recovery."
    "After this hill I am totally stopping. Next hill: o.k. after this hill I"m stopping for real this time. excetera."

    ReplyDelete
  9. HA, my thoughts are kind of like yours....That is awesome. People ask me what I think about on a long run, and I honestly can't tell them because it is all random stuff like that!

    ReplyDelete
  10. its been so long since ive done a long run i'm afriad to attempt! FAIL

    ReplyDelete
  11. My thoughts consist of: "Am I done yet? This run feels good. I want legs like Carrie Underwood. That dude over there needs to step up his weight, he is lifting incorrectly. Do I look like an idiot? I hope I look like I know what I am doing and not like that spaz on the treadmill next to me. Is it over yet? How far have I ran? I would really like to walk. I am tired of listening to this song..."

    ReplyDelete
  12. I listen to podcasts because my thoughts are seriously too schizophrenic.

    Going too slow.
    But time on your feet is good.
    I already know how to run slow.
    I can't possibly go any faster.
    Long & slow. Slow is good.
    Damn, I'm slow.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Every time I run, I promise myself that I will think Deep and Profound Thoughts. This lasts about, oh, two minutes into the run, and then I start humming nursery rhymes. Or hymns.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I think about how cool it would be to know how to play the guitar.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am with you, running in the summer sucks no matter what time you get up...That is a great pace, though:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. On long runs especially, I sometimes look back and wonder what the hell consumed my mind while doing it... considering how slow I am. But, I know that a lot of my thoughts are random!

    ReplyDelete
  17. My brain's the same as yours when I run - it's like I have ADD. I just don't get people who can go for a run and solve all their problems. I go running and forget about them the whole time I'm out.

    ReplyDelete
  18. When I'm running 13 miles I do it 4 minutes on and 1 minute off, so I have plenty of walk breaks. When I'm running, I'm imagining I'm a Fly Girl or a Laker Girl. when I'm walking I think about home and I pray a little bit. After about mile 7, I think about my body and marvel at how much it can take.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I think about the quiet....with 3 kids I enjoy the time to hear myself think. Looking forward to your reviews!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think, "Man, I will never complain about 30 degree temps again." in the summer. And in the winter I think, "Man, I will never complain about 102 record high temps again."

    ReplyDelete
  21. I think you've been in my mind....that's about exactly how my time goes....

    ReplyDelete
  22. Lately...thinking about my form. how I can be more efficient. Am I moving my head? Where am I landing on my feet? Am I leaning forward? Nothing exciting, but it gets me through.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Woohoo on getting a long run done in this heat! On my long runs, my thoughts are a lot like yours...just random.

    ReplyDelete
  24. don't look at your garmin, don't look at your garmin....ahhh crap you looked at your garmin you are moving so slow pick it up....ok don't look, don't look until it buzzes ok you look in ten feet no don't look it will suck.....and on and on sometimes I think I should throw that thing away

    ReplyDelete
  25. LMAO. Since I ran on the treadmill today my thoughts went something like this: "Damn this is going to be a long run. Why am I doing this indoors? It's so BORING! At least I won't melt outside...How far have I gone? Surely I'm almost halfway. Shit, not even close. Maybe I should cut my mileage down. No, I have to do this to get back in running shape." Then I would focus on the podcast I was listening to only to lapse back into the monologue above. Some days I feel like I can solve the world's problems on a run, but today sure wasn't one of them. At least I wasn't humming Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star for multiple miles like I was last weekend. That got REALLY old.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I always hit the pavement knowing I'm about to get some major thinking done, and I always end up thinking about a whole lot of nothing. It's more relaxing that way though, just letting thoughts come and go, reveling in my very rare alone time!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think about what your next blog post will be. I am always wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  28. i get to go for my first run on friday and i'm so scared of feeling pain. i hope that fear doesn't stick w/ me for long!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am all over the place with my thoughts on long runs. I daydream a lot - wonder what people are doing out at the same time I am, wonder if they are wondering what I am doing out, what would I do if i won the lottery, wonder when will this be done, wonder when will this be done.....I too also make note of where potential 'nature calls' spots are in case I have to double back....

    ReplyDelete
  30. I didn't run until 2:45 in the afternoon (west Boulder) and we were lucky enough to be out during the rain. Otherwise it was in the 90s most of the day. Yuck!!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Lately all our our runs are as a family. So I spend half the time talking/singing to the kiddo (he is in the jogging stroller). The other half is spent wondering why I dont run along. :)

    ReplyDelete
  32. You know, I have never really paid attention to what I think about while running. 90% of the time I run my long runs with company, so I can talk out loud about water and gels and crap.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I usually think about things I have to do when I get home. Or, I try to sing along with my music (only in my head, not out loud).

    ReplyDelete
  34. I'm the same way! Even on short runs, my mind is all over the place, thinking about how my shoes feel, a squirrel that ran by, that TV show I watched last night, the fact that I ate breakfast too late, that my tummy is upset, when will it be over, what movies I want to see...

    That's why I liked my long runs. It's just time to let your mind wander wherever.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Lately, I think, "I have to pee. I have to pee. I have to pee." For the entire run.

    ReplyDelete
  36. You look GREAT post run!
    I think I hear a bear for sure...or maybe a cougar...OK, just a deer..phew

    ReplyDelete
  37. True story...I think about NOTHING. Rarely does a thought cross my mind. I just zone out.

    I'm going to assume you used the last item in your list to wipe sweat off of your face. Don't spoil my fantasy.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I have realized now that I am always thinking when I run. Usually I am writing blogs in my head - and I always think I have come up with my next masterpiece.

    Then I get done running and I'm blank. I can't remember any of my literary genius. Just today I ran 3 miles. As I sit here now I haven't the faintest idea what went through my mind. All I remember is that New Kids on the Block came on my iPod twice and that made my day!

    ReplyDelete