Weekend Running Realizations

 

It’s Monday which means the first picture of the week will look like this:

I didn’t have enough time over the weekend to lounge at the beach but I did squeeze in a seven mile boardwalk run Sunday morning. Speaking of Sunday, hope you had a Happy Father’s Day.

Of course I brought my post-run breakfast to the beach with me.

My spoon matches my shoes.

I added some frozen banana chunks to the mix before leaving the house. I figured they would get all melty and add some new texture to the usual oatmeal combination. It was fun.

You know you are a foodie when frozen banana added to oatmeal is considered fun.

I even remembered to bring my sun visor with me.

Too bad I didn’t notice I was still wearing my sunglasses when I got out of the car to check that I had my visor on all pretty.

I hate running with sunglasses. Granted they are prescription which sure help me see, but still. I can’t deal with them sliding on my nose and getting sweaty.

Anyway, lots of miles this weekend means lots of random running realizations to discuss:

*Running by the beach is nice not just for the scenery and sounds of the ocean but because it is less humid and quite often offers a breeze.

Humidity makes me run slower. I realized this during Saturday’s long run which took place through my usual neighborhood loop.

The humid air is heavy which makes my legs feel heavy or at least makes it feel like my body needs more power to cut through the air in order to keep moving.

I will take humid summer air over the frigid fear of frost bite and dodging of ice runs from this past winter but it’s an adjustment.

*In the hours after a long run during the summer, I really can’t sit outside by the pool or the beach.

Even with all of the hydrating and refueling I do, I have noticed in the past that I will get dizzy, light-headed and shaky so I didn’t even bother on Saturday to attempt any time out in the sun, aside from my son’s Little League Championship game later in the day.

Little League Championship winners, thank you very much. I feel like I earned the trophy that came home just for sitting in the bleachers all season.

*I don’t really sweat until I stop moving.

As soon as I pause for a sip of water or to use the bathroom (so thrilled the boardwalk has decent bathrooms), the sudden release of sweat overcomes me.

I used to hate sweating, now I find the experience a cool release. No pun intended but sweating really is the body’s way of cooling in the form of releasing sweat.

Click here to learn why this happens.

*I spotted a father roller blading while pushing a jogging stroller on the boardwalk.

I need to locate my roller blades. I used to love to roller blade. Am I too old to skate around? I hope not.

On a side note, at what age are you too old to blast the radio and sing while you are driving with the sun roof and windows opened?

I just don’t see myself ever stopping. Will it matter when I am eighty and still want to belt out Debbie Gibson’s Only in My Dreams while driving? I say if I want to at that point, then why the heck not? Can’t I be a cool and hip senior citizen? Isn’t age just a number? Who said elderly has to been boring?

*I want to stop tracking my pace for long runs.

If long runs are all about endurance, I really should set out for two hours and leave the rest to fate.

I read this article over the weekend which stated 25 rules every runner should follow and one of them is the fact that you can’t run a long run too slow.

Saturday I was slow. Slow for me that is. I knew it was okay to be going slow but each mile and pace that chirped in my ear still bothered me.

I always like to hear that my average pace is falling somewhere in the eight minutes per mile range but that wasn’t happening on Saturday nor should it if I want to use my long runs for what they are meant for.

*Not only did I want to turn off MapMyRun on Saturday, I wasn’t in the mood to listen to anything. Not music, not the Dr. Joy Browne podcast, not even my own thoughts.

Sometimes I wish I could shut my head off and think about nothing.

Have you mastered this? Please tell me how to do it.

Running is great for exploring thoughts, brainstorming, sorting through problems and even developing recipes but sometimes, it would be nice to not to have anything to think about nor have some sudden realization you need to quickly write down before you forget it.

I am glad though that I turned on the Dr. Joy Browne podcast for the last three miles of my run on Saturday because she said something worth sharing with you today.

A caller was struggling with career choices and life decisions and she asked him what interests him, what he would choose as a career if he could do anything in the world without having to deal with the logistics and financials.

I quickly decided that I would be a cake taste tester.

Aside from being paid to eat cake, I actually think I am finally doing something that I love. Who knew writing would ever become my thing?

Some people get lucky and fall right into their true career path. Others require a journey to get there.

I suddenly feel like Little Red Riding Hood or something. I mean, I usually wear pink not red but this is the image I conjure up when I think about the journey get somewhere.

What career would you choose if you could do anything in the world?

*****

Do you wear sunglasses while running?

Rollerblading or Ice Skating? I like both but used to love to roller blade regularly as a form of exercise.

Last song you blasted in your car with the windows down?