Marathon Makeover -My First “Run”
I know . . . I know . . . We are not supposed to be running for the first 10 weeks, we are supposed to be walking. However, Mark Simpson said that in MM terms anything that produces forward motion is running. So all of us first timers ran that mile! Perhaps to the untrained eye our “running” style looked an awful lot like walking, but I’m just going by what Mark said.
Any way, I digress. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s meeting.
Running Shoes – Oddly enough, this is the one part of running that I was best informed about. I used to manage shoe stores and already knew the importance of running shows, different shoes for different feet, the importance of socks, etc. I was a little perturbed when the guy from Stinky Feet handed a little bottle and said to rub it on my hands only to find out its butt cream. (I hope that was a brand new bottle and not something he brought from home.)
All of the running clothes – I was surprised at how all the rest of the running gear was not just to look cool while you run. It was as important as your shoes. I heard way more than I learned. I will be asking questions over the coming months.
Robin and Mark – Again they stressed two things that I hear them mention again and again. Run your own race and follow the program. It saddens me to read some blogs where folks are already running or going beyond what the program calls for. I am so afraid those folks will be sidelined. To be honest I’m afraid that might happen to me even if I follow the program. I damaged my knee a couple of years ago and I think about it every time I walk.
Rebecca – I am participating in Runner Fuel, and if you are not, you should be. Rebecca’s teaching on nutrition is going to change my life and my wife’s life. Her diet plan is difficult for someone who is not used to being on a diet plan. But I figure I was consuming 3 times what I am supposed to be and not getting the right nutrients. Rebecca is a great asset to this program.
The Run/walk – OK, here is where you get hear me whine. Just before the run/walk, I went to the rest room. My plan was to run to the rest room and then get back to Kathleen, my wife, before we went to the track. Little did I know there was an army of Sunday school teachers swarming the halls. I walked out of the room and it was wall to wall people. And I did not know where the restrooms were. So I started wading through the crowd and finally realized, I was not seeing any restrooms, so I turned back the other way and wiggled through to a place where it opened up and I could see the restrooms.
On my way back it seems all the people were moving – in the opposite direction from me. Going against the crowd in a church is not a real easy thing to do. I finally made it to the meeting room – and it was almost empty. I thought, Kathleen is probably waiting for me out side. I pushed through the crowd to cross over to the court yard (I swear those folks were set on keeping us from getting through them.) I got outside and did not find Kathleen. I wasn’t sure if she went to the restroom. Or if she was still inside being trampled under the feet of second grade Sunday teachers. Should I go back and find her and rescue her? Should I do my mile first? Surely she wouldn’t start without me! Well, actually, she might. I waited a few minutes – a little undecided. And a little concerned. I had not heard all the instructions so I was not real sure what to do. As I waited and the crowd starting the mile was getting thinner, I decided to go ahead and start. I kept looking ahead to see if I could see her. I kept looking back to see if I saw her coming out. I realized that most likely she had left without me. This irritated me. We were supposed to do this together and she did not wait on me. I kept looking back but the longer I walked the more I came to realize that she was probably with that large group of folks way up there, just chit chatting and have a good ole time while I’m way back here fuming.
Then I came to the mud. Great! Sloshing through the mud, irritated, alone. Well except for the several nice people who came along side of me and said “hi”. Of course I was cordial. But not really feeling like being friendly. I got back to the black top. I was pretty much by myself at this point. I turned the corner and almost got run over (twice) by drivers who looked iritated at all these walkers.
Then I came to the starting line and there was a lady there cheering everyone and giving everyone a high five. I did not see her name, but she was so happy, so motivating, that I started to cheer up. The last part of that mile was much better than the first. When I came around the second time I was again greeted by our cheerleader with a high five. I was also greeted by my lovely wife with a hug. I am so glad I was not irritated any more or I may have ruined that moment.
Thanks goes out to our little cheerleader at the starting/finish line. Thanks also goes out to my perpetual cheerleader, Kathleen, my beautiful wife who loves me through thick or thin. Hopefully, we are done with the thick and working towards the thin.
God bless you all
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