Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Run, run away

Pre-workout breakfast: Sweet potato oats

Workout: Ran 5.03 miles; average pace, 9:12.

The days you don’t want to run, the ones where you to curl under the covers and forget about the world.

Those are the days you should run the most.

You might not be able to clear your head. You might not be able to forget. But, for a brief moment you might find clarity. You might be able to organize your thoughts. You might be able to form a sentence.

While there’s nothing really wrong in the Healthy Strides household, there’s been some things keeping us down. Unhappy with our living situation is No. 1 on the list. Weather is right behind that and a general winter fatigue is a close third.

I chose to run this morning – despite those things coming together for one bad cocktail this morning. It felt good. Not pleasant, not great. But good. I found some sense in things. And for that, I am thankful.

I am also thankful that there is no photographic evidence of my running outfit this afternoon. Being intimidated by 11 degrees on Weather.com inspires me to dress like a goon. Think leopard print ear band on top of an over-sized purple crocheted cap.

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So, onto happier things. Did anyone watch last night’s “The Biggest Loser”? It was the marathon episode, after all.

The final four contestants are challenged to run a marathon about four months after they started the journey. I’m not sure I could train for a marathon in four months so to go from couch potato to marathoner in that time frame never ceases to astound me.

And the great part is there always one contestant who runs the course that goes above and beyond to amaze me. Last night, it was Ada. She ran the marathon with a goal – to beat the female record for the show – and she came in at an 4:38, besting the time by 18 minutes.

But it’s not just that that impresses me. She did that with a 6-minute No. 2 break. That the producers actually showed. It might be the only real part of running that they have ever shown. Seriously, do these people fuel? Where’s the Gu station and the Gatorade? The bloody toes? The ice bath?

2 comments:

  1. Ugh. You beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing about the Biggest Looser. I watched it last night and thought the same thing to myself. Where is all the pain? That one woman said she had only run 8-miles before. Come on?! And where are their ITB issues?! Cramping? Etc.

    P.S. Tell us more about what "Sweet Potato Oats" are.... curious.

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  2. I missed the episode and am bummed about it -thanks for the glimpse back. It does seem INCREDIBLE that 4 months ago those people weighed 300+ and now run a marathon (shame on the creative editing that doesn't show the REAL aspects of the actual miles. . . sure that would turn many people off to even bothering to get off the couch).

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