Who Would Run Eighteen Miles for Fun?

When thinking about fun things to do on the weekend I’m sure all of us think about running eighteen miles.  Nothing is more delightful than going to bed early Friday night, getting up early Saturday morning, bundling yourself in running clothes and running eighteen miles in below freezing weather. That’s what I was thinking last Friday when I was getting ready for my eighteen-mile, training run on Saturday.  I was so excited about this run that I didn’t get much sleep the night before. Excitement is my middle name (not really but it should be).  I’ve never run that distance, all at once, in my life. Sure, I’ve logged eighteen miles over the course of a week, but never all at once, straight through, in the same day.  

Yes, I’m training for a marathon. I’m still not sure why I thought that I should even try to run a marathon, but I think it had something to do with oxygen deprivation of the brain (all the oxygen going to my legs) and an overdose of endorphins during my last half-marathon race.  Oh, and don’t forget that cute, little, oval sticker that says“26.2” that I would be able to stick on my mini-van.  And it even comes in pink!  I can just see myself running through the finish line saying, “I did it all for the sticker.”  Seriously, though, I’m really running the race for the Team in Training program (TNT) to help raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (and for the STICKER!).

Thinking about running eighteen miles is one thing; looking at the route on a map is another.  When you’re thinking about running eighteen miles, the distance is just a number, like in math.  I’m so glad I learned math because it certainly was useful to know that eighteen was simply 16+2.  And, I had already gone on a sixteen mile run two weeks ago, so it was comforting to know that I was only going two miles farther than I had gone before—that was until I looked at the route on a map.  Then reality hit me really hard. “I’m doing what?”  I told myself.  Only a crazy person would think that running that route was a reasonable thing to do.  I didn’t come up with the route, some TNT coach did, so I knew that I wasn’t the crazy person.

Although it was bitterly cold and there was a wind, it was sunny and I found the weather to be perfect for running (that’s code for I tried not to think about it).  I had my MP3 player with a new playlist.  I was wearing three pairs of running pants, two pairs of gloves, a long sleeve shirt, a fleece vest, a jacket, a hat, wool socks and a pair of shoes.  Believe me, if it would’ve been possible to wear two pairs of shoes, I would’ve done it.  You see, I’m always cold, even when running, which is why for runners' standards, I was slightly overdressed.  But I was very comfortable (Ha! I was still cold). We weren’t even a mile into the run when another team member ran up to me to give me a pack of tissues that had fallen out of my jacket pocket—I didn’t even realize it had fallen out. It was the pack of tissues I was carrying because when I run, my nose runs with me.  

The run actually went pretty well.  I was able to run most of the way with another person from the team, and I kept meeting up with the coaches and some of the other team members at the water stops.  Even with two pairs of gloves, my hands were so cold and numb that I wasn’t able to open my gel pack at one of the water stops.  Fortunately, someone was there to help me open it.  Other than the pack of tissues falling out of my pocket, and not being able to open my gel package, the run actually went pretty well.  That is unless you count that I missed a turn on the route and ended up running an extra mile. It wouldn’t be a long run without me going the wrong way.

And now, time for the stats.  My eighteen mile run ended up being a nineteen mile run.  It took me half a day to finish (4:01 hours) and I burned 2,102 calories. See?  That’s why someone would run eighteen miles for fun. It’s all about the calories.

Math lesson #2: calories=fun.

Running in the Rain is Fun

I know this much about racing in the rain.  I know it is about balance.  It is about anticipation and patience…about the mind!— Garth Stein (The Art of Racing in the Rain) 

Running in the rain is lots of fun!  That’s what I told myself for days before my last long run.  The weather forecast was calling for heavy rain that day and I was not looking forward to running fourteen miles in heavy rain.  Those that know me well, know that I’m the biggest inclement weather wimp.  If it’s snowing, raining or below 60 degrees, I don’t like being outside. 

 

“Honey, can you drop me off by the door, please?” I whine, if there is any moisture in the air.  

So when I announced to everyone that I would be running fourteen miles in the rain, they were concerned that maybe I had hit my head and was suffering from amnesia.  Did I forget who I was? Running fourteen miles was crazy enough but running it in the rain was insanity. And by the way, did I forget that I might just melt in the rain?  Like I said, I’m the biggest weather wimp.  

The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do.—Walter Bagehot

Why would I even consider running fourteen miles in the rain?  First off, I tried to convince myself that it would be better than running fourteen miles on a treadmill.  Then there’s also the fact that I’m training for a marathon.  Yes, I’m insane, I know.  I also need to train in various conditions so I can be ready to deal with whatever conditions I might come across on race day, and since the race takes place in the beginning of May, it may be really hot or raining or snowing or bitterly cold or pleasant and sunny. I’m betting on pleasant and sunny.  Let’s hope I’m right.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.—Benjamin Franklin

Back to the fourteen mile run in the rain.  I told myself it would be fun.  I told myself it would be fun.  I told myself it would be fun.  Then I started to think that maybe I should make it fun.  I did some research on the Internet and found out that running in the rain is common runner behavior. Yup, if you call yourself a runner, you run in the rain.  I call myself a runner, so I should run in the rain. I also found out that people from Seattle didn’t realize that there was any other kind of running.  That puts things in perspective.

I kept looking for practical tips for running in the rain, for example, should I wear a rain coat, galoshes, and carry an umbrella?   How does one run with an umbrella?  Do I still have to drink water in the rain?  How do you drink water in the rain?  I kept picturing Sponge Bob Square Pants drinking a glass of water underwater. But, everywhere I looked I found out that runners just run in their regular running attire, they don’t carry umbrellas, they don’t wear rain boots, they drink water, and they just get wet.  GASP!  I would get wet? 

This will be fun, this will be fun, this will be fun…How will I make running in the rain fun?

“I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain.  What a wonderful feeling, I’m happy again.”

I thought about that.  Singing in the rain would be fun, but it just wouldn’t be the same without an umbrella.  But, how about running with my camera?  I could try to take pictures while running in the rain.  Now, I truly was looking forward to running in the rain. 

This will be fun, this will be fun, this will be fun…Now I knew how I would make running in the rain fun.

The day of the run came and I was psyched.  I was actually looking forward to this.  I was going to run in the rain!  I wore a long sleeved running shirt made from a wicking material, a pair of compression running tights, a water repellent jacket with a breathable fabric, waterproof pants on top of the tights, Smart Wool socks, my old pair of running shoes, a cap with a brim to keep the water off my face, a running belt with water bottles and Gu gels, a reflective vest, and my camera in my hand.  Maybe I was a bit over dressed but it was the only way I could talk myself into going through with the run.

That morning I met my Team in Training group for our run.  We all warmed up and set out.  Then I went the wrong way, got lost in the rain, the end.

Actually, I didn’t technically get lost during the run.  What happened was that since it was raining I wasn’t able to keep checking the piece of paper that had my directions for the route.  I just followed the person that was ahead of me thinking that they were running the same route I was.  That was a mistake.  Not everyone on the Team was running the same route.  Some of us were running fourteen miles while others were running a shorter route.

What this meant was that, in order to get to fourteen miles, I had to backtrack to make up for the missed miles.  It also meant that I ended up running by myself.  That’s okay, I had my camera to keep me company and I actually finished my fourteen miles in the rain.  That definitely counts for something.

And I DID get wet!

At the end, I was soaked all the way through; even though, I was wearing a water resistant jacket and (supposedly) waterproof pants.  My shoes were not just wet, they were waterlogged.  I had read somewhere that stuffing newspapers in wet running shoes would help them dry out; therefore, I stuffed my shoes with newspapers when I got home.  Two days later the shoes were completely dry. Tip of the day: newspapers.

Running in the rain is fun.  By the way, I didn’t melt.  I found out that I was actually waterproof. Who would’ve thunk?