What I think about on long runs...

With the official start of training last weekend I thought it was finally time to post this list I came up with one day back in April. I made this list after a pretty hysterical 9 mile run I was on from my house to Fenway and back. I wrote them all down (when I was still on my runner's high of course) and thought about sharing it one day with fellow runners. I know I can't be alone in some (hopefully most) of these thoughts so I figured others would get enjoyment out of these 20 random thoughts that go through my head when I run:

1)      Every time I have been running there has been someone who sprints past me almost knocking me over…and then stops 20 yards later. Come on bro, I’m on a long run here.

2)      I have no idea what motivates me to go on long runs. (clearly this was written pre-marathon) Almost every run I have done over 9 miles has been because I’m like hmm I feel like running forever today.

3)      I always seem to pick up injuries along the way. Instead of stopping my first thought is, “Hmm that’s interesting, I wonder why that’s happening…yeah that kinda hurts…interesting.” Except if it’s my knee and then I’m like AHHHH I’M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO RUN AGAIN!

4)      It's crazy how people on the side walk get SO freaked out when you are running towards them.  Come on people, sidewalks are used for more than just walking. It’s not like I’m running at you dressed at a pond monster with streamers yelling at you to join my running cult. Be polite, stay to the right, and we’ll all be ok.

5)      The first 2-4 miles of any run is the hardest for me. I feel like my leg muscles are stretching like a cat after a long nap…and they are pissed about being woken up.

6)      Although I know no one can hear what I’m listening to, I’m still secretly convinced that if I start a dance party in the streets everyone would join in.

7)      Speaking of music, some days it REALLY matters what I listen to other days is like la la la la o look Coldplay is on, that’s nice.

8)      Also, Till I Collapse is the best “man up and run harder” song to work out to and Born in the USA is still the best song to run to.

9)      When I think about the places I run to I’m like AHH that’s SO far but when I’m running I’m like o look there’s Fenway, time to turn around and go home.

10)   Speaking of, when I’m at my turnaround point I feel so awkward when you run past someone and right after it’s like o um, I was planning on turning around here so now I have to run by you again…

11)   Call on meeeeeeee on meeeeeeee

12)   When I’m in my “running zone” my arms take on these lazy raptor arm position, my head tilts slightly to the left and my eyes look downward to the right.

13)   However, I got really good advice from Mustache Matt from dev at work, he told me to look up at a point in the distance when I run downhill and my knees won’t hurt as much. It works!

14)   Be a Tarahumara, be a Tarahumara, be a Tarahumara, be a Tarahumara

15)   Every time I run over a bridge I still think of One Tree Hill and I wish I had a basketball with me.

16)   If I see the Marathon sports guy who sold me my new running sneakers I’m going to give him the best running bear hug and totally freak him out. Honestly, these shoes are bomb!

17)   I go out wearing shorts and a long sleeve and I’m realizing I might be too hot in the long sleeve…and then someone runs by me wearing a hat, gloves, long leggings and a winter top, um?

18)   Everyone woman who has every run a race in Boston has a Tufts 10k shirt. It’s like lululemon pants for yoga enthusiasts

19)   I really want to yell at people that block the sidewalk…STOP PLAYING DEFENSE ON THE SIDEWALK, like I do at people who block the bars when I’m out.

20)   I thought about the creation of this blog on this long run because I realized (until marathon training started) I had no set plan for my training. I just did whatever work out I felt like doing, when I wanted to do it. People would ask me how I would train for triathlons and I would just laugh and say you don’t want to do what I do. I’m a bad triathlete :)

So there you have it. I'll post another time about all the interesting people I have met along my runs and weird things that have happened to me during them.  But for now I would kindly like to direct your attention to the new tab that says "Marathon Training Progress!" We all know that social pressure is the most motivating of all the pressures out there so I created a chart to post my long run times. I've never run a race before that has so much social hype and interactions with the outside world like the Boston Marathon. I figured it would be great way to prepare myself when everyone starts asking me "how long will it take you?" Check it out, don't judge and feel free to write any inspiring comments to keep me going through the long cold winter.

On a closing note (and I can't let you all down by not having a picture): how a bad triathele does an ugly sweater for a running fundraiser: 

Yes....there were bibs on the back too :)

 Happy December !

-cat