On I went, out of the wood, passing the man leading without knowing I was going to do so. Flip-flap, flip-flap, jog-trot, jog-trot, curnchslap-crunchslap, across the middle of a broad field again, rhythmically running in my greyhound effortless fashion, knowing I had won the race though it wasn't half over, won it if I wanted it, could go on for ten or fifteen or twenty miles if I had to and drop dead at the finish of it, which would be the same, in the end, as living an honest life like the governor wanted me to. -Alan Sillitoe, "Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Why I haven't been talking about my, you know, running much lately

If you're astute, and I won't blame you if you're not, you may have noticed that I haven't posted any pictures or descriptions of my runs lately.

That's not entirely because I haven't been running, nor is it because of the monotony of the normal run.  Where I run outside along the Hudson River is surprisingly beautiful.

But I haven't been running outside lately.  It's the heat.  This has become my usual run:
Seeing this photo bores even me.  (And I've told you that I look beat to hell when I run!  Do you believe me now?)  Luckily Dateline was on that day - 10 tedious miles - and Keith Morrison is so inadvertently hilarious that it takes my mind off of most anything.  Other treadmill hits include: So You Think You Can Dance, Last Comic Standing, or NBC's Thursday night sitcom line-up.

Yeah, I'm ready for this heat to break.  You know, in late September.
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4 comments:

  1. Silly Girl RunningThu Jul 22, 08:04:00 AM EDT

    I'm with you on this one; I - do - not - like treadmills...at all. These things are just something I have to use when I can't run outside. Would rather be out and running at 5 AM, than hit the dreadmill, though.

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  2. KellyThu Jul 22, 08:34:00 AM EDT

    Oh my - 10 miles on the treadmill? Nice work! I pick sweating it out outside almost every time over the mill. Seriously, it doesn't look like we'll have any relief any time soon! BOO

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  3. MichaelThu Jul 22, 08:36:00 AM EDT

    When I started running I thought I'd never run outside, now I think it'd rather have dental work done then run on the treadmill. Although every so often I do use it if I can't get out early enough etc. I always tend to run too fast because I get so bored; I keep upping the speed, then can't maintain it and feel like a loser and have to walk.

    Also, why is it that it always seems that next to me is this unfit looking person running so much faster than me and with seeming no effort at all when I'm red and huffing and puffing?

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  4. TThu Jul 22, 08:37:00 AM EDT

    I need to learn how to wake up early! I'm struggling so badly this summer. I need so much extra sleep when I'm training, but I find it impossible to go to bed early... so I end up sleeping in and missing that window of barely manageable weather. Ugh!

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