Tonight's Workout (1/13/05)

OK. But I need to do a lot better.

The Vegas had their first group run tonight and guess who didn't finish with the group? If you guessed me then you're right. We ran around the neighborhood near Vijay's house, where there were apparently 5 armed robberies last night - Go Washington! But anyway, my shin splints started hurting. Not so bad as when I started running (12/29/04 - the official start date because that's when I got my new running shoes), but bad enough that after running outside for maybe 4.5 minutes straight my shin splints and calves were so stiff I could barely run a few steps before they started hurting again. So, I insisted that the rest of the group go on w/o me and I ran around the neighborhood by myself. And guess what... I actually had fun running. :-)

Once I eliminated the pressure of having to keep up with the group or trying to run through the pain or exhaustion I started having fun. It was a nice night. The sidewalks in the neighborhood were flat, wide and well lit. I ran when I felt like running. I walked when I felt like walking. I paused to stretch and say hi to by passers. I ran to the middle of a grassy field did my Julie Andrews impression from the opening sequence of The Sound of Music then skipped back to the sidewalk before anyone saw me. Although I should have been pushing myself for the race, I was having a good time. Then everyone caught up to me. I tried to keep up and I couldn't so I was miserable again. I am so not ready for this race. :-(

I don't have any times or distances tonight. I don't wear a watch or an odometer.

But this evening was like a good example of my life experiences. On more than one occasion I tend to have more fun doing stuff by myself. I can be my own source of entertainment, companionship and quite often conversation. It's so sad. But the Vegas are cool and definitely much better runners than I am so this means I have to train harder. March is less than 3 months away people.

Things I should not have eaten today:
- Argh!!!! Club Crackers!! The cracker of the Gods.
- 3 Turkey Sausage links (But they were at breakfast time and I needed the protein)
- One little slice of pepperoni pizza (after the run our coach bought us pizza, but I wasn't in the mood for food)

I think I tend to eat more when I'm happy which is the opposite of most people who eat more when they're depressed. So, lets hope I don't hit the lottery or fall in love before the race.

- Later Days