1. I had to explain to non-runner adults what I was doing. First was to a woman (who we adore) who works at my son's daycare. The second was to one of my committee members (who I quite like), who I happened to run into on my way to practice last night. The third was to a woman who looked at me like I was crazy when I stopped at Walgreen's on my way home. She stared, cocked her head to one side, and read my shirt out loud, "Inaugural Rock & Roll Half-Marathon." I decided it wasn't worth explaining it that time.
The truth: Most grown adults put "track practice" in the category of "things high school students do," and explaining that your evening is devoted to it sounds patently bizarre. Like losing toenails and chafing, I just decided a long time ago to file "track practice" with the other runner topics you can't discuss in polite society.
2. I'm secretly intimidated by track practice every single week. How? I have no idea. I ran them for three years in high school and am on my third (I'm not counting '08) year of running them with the Team. I don't remember being intimidated by them in high school, but then I also don't remember obsessing over pace like I do now. I had a moment of panic yesterday when RunningFirst revealed the workout: 8 x 400. I got through them just fine (1:37 to 1:42 intervals, I'll take that!) and it's a workout I've done gobs of times before. Why the worry?
The truth: Even runners get intimidated about running sometimes. It's an ugly truth; I'd rather be fearless. But in just a few fleeting moments every week, I'm not. You don't have to be fearless, you just have to do it.
Mileage (end of March cumulative total): 147.4 + 4.0 + 4.0 = 155.4 miles
4 comments:
Ha, I know what you mean about explaining. I have to constantly tell the adult walkers and joggers what we're doing on the track when we have our group workouts. We've even recruited a couple of people also! Sounds like your 400s went well.
I usually just say "it's a runner thing". no further explanation needed, cause most people think runners are nuts anyways! I'm okay with being nuts. And I think you ARE fearless.
I think a lot of people don't get the running thing at all. My parents, for example, think I'm crazy because I'm choosing to run 6.2 miles at the end of May. Lots of people see running as a chore or associate it with a traumatic gym class experience. But I always tell them to not knock it before they try it. It's one of the easiest ways to get in shape.
No Fear!!! You run the track better every week.
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