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, August 4, 2011

Things I thought while running in the rain last night

Miles 1-2
Yay! Running in the rain! This is fun! It's like you're a kid again! You must know some songs about rain, Tracy! What are they? Oh, right:


Look - another runner! Oh, she's unfriendly. Listen. You and I are the only runners around for miles. You can smile back at me, lady.

OMG, there are no runners around for miles. Could I be appearing on a "ripped from the headlines" episode of Law & Order: SVU next season? Okay, better be more aware of your surroundings... there are a lot of bushes here. Lots of places for bad guys to hang out.

Mile 3
Okay, phew, a cyclist. I'm not alone. Wait - is he wearing white bike shorts? Really? In the rain? White? You go on with your bad self, I guess.

The West Side Highway under the George Washington Bridge smells a lot like wet dog tonight. If that wet dog were vomiting and defecating at the same time.

New music! What other songs do you know about rain? Well, there's Prince:



No, I don't know any of the words to that song besides the chorus. But there's always - oh, no, oh no -



Mile 4
Must. Get. That. Song. Out. Of. My. Head. Replacement:



Okay, it's not about rain. But it's got a good cadence, I know all the words, and if you sing the chorus as "rain, rain" instead of "dance, dance," it works.

They're from Chicago! My brother's friends have partied with them! I wonder if it's true what my brother told me, that the lead singer always wears a hat because he's bald? While I'm on it, I wonder what really broke up Pete Wentz and Ashley Simpson? And I wonder if Pete Wentz was really upset that his penis pictures leaked, or if he's secretly another Anthony Weiner? [ed. note: it would be embarrassing to admit how much time I spent on this topic.]

Mile 5
The leggies are feeling very fresh tonight! No, you did not just say "leggies," not even when you were having a conversation with yourself, did you really now?

Home - home - home - almost there.
Blah blah blah, something about regretting the runs you don't do and not the runs you do, blah blah, rain is refreshing, blah blah blah.

8 comments:

  1. I hope your leggies have recovered - loved this post!

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  2. OMG you are SO hilarious...love that last little paragraph especially. I ran in the rain last night, too! About 4 miles and I really enjoyed it. Actually my last two runs have been very enjoyable, so it's possible I am out of my rut :) Are you running long on Sunday w/NYRC?

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  3. I should suck it up and run in the rain already. We FINALLY had a sunny day today after 2 weeks straight of rain (aren't you glad you didn't visit during rainy season?), but it's meant to rain again tomorrow...

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  4. Haha, it's always entertaining to learn what other people think about when they're running. And it reminds me that my mid-run musings are not always as ridiculous as they seem when I think back on them later. Also: lol @ Hilary Duff & FOB. Throwbacks, yo

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  5. Loved this post! Hilarious! Makes me wonder what my running chain of thought might look like in written form...I think I'm too scared to go there.

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  6. CHOCOLATE RAIN!!! sometime i must show you my tay zonday impression. it's especially fun after a few beers.

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  7. I find the song "Dance, Dance" entirely un-danceable.

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  8. this post is amazing! i totally have thought the L&O ripped from the headlines speal!

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