Run, Boys, Run!
As I continue to semi-train for my mini-marathon this spring, I've had to move indoors to the elevated track in the school's old gym. I'm too finicky a runner to go outside when it's 20 degrees and overcast, so, while running in circles for an hour is not enticing, it beats the alternative. I've discovered I can manage the endless circles as long as I don't try to keep track of how many times I've run around. I now just watch the clock and run for a set amount of time rather than distance.
I decided on Monday night that I would try to get a long run in. In my world right now, a long run equals an hour. For the first half hour, I had the benefit of a middle school basketball game going on on the court beneath me, which gave me lots of distractions. I actually almost ran into the exercise equipment set up in the corners of the track a couple of times because I was so focused on watching the game below. But once the game ended, I feared I would have a hard time occupying my mind enough to keep from counting laps for the next half hour.
Fortunately, I was in for a treat. A couple of male students entered the track not too long after the game ended and did some warming up on the eliptical machines. Then they took off on a jog around the track. As I continued my running, I began gaining on them and started thinking in my mind whether it would be easier to pass them on the left or the right. About that same time, one of them looked back and noticed that I was getting close. He said something to his friend, and they sped up just a bit. For about 20 yards, we ran at the same pace, but then they slowed down again. I once more approached and got ready to pass them. For a second time, they sped up. It didn't take me long to realize what was going on. Each time I got closer, they would speed up to keep me from lapping them. They tried to be very secretive in looking over their shoulders to check my progress, but I was onto their game. So I decided to mess with them a little bit, too. The next time they sped up, I sped up with them. They sped up again, and I sped up again. This happened a third time, and then they took off sprinting. I let them sprint the rest of the way, and they stopped at the end of the lap. Smiling to myself, I finally passed them and continued to finish my hour long run.
If you're curious, I covered about seven miles in that hour, which would amount to 84 laps. Now you see why I don't need to be counting.
I decided on Monday night that I would try to get a long run in. In my world right now, a long run equals an hour. For the first half hour, I had the benefit of a middle school basketball game going on on the court beneath me, which gave me lots of distractions. I actually almost ran into the exercise equipment set up in the corners of the track a couple of times because I was so focused on watching the game below. But once the game ended, I feared I would have a hard time occupying my mind enough to keep from counting laps for the next half hour.
Fortunately, I was in for a treat. A couple of male students entered the track not too long after the game ended and did some warming up on the eliptical machines. Then they took off on a jog around the track. As I continued my running, I began gaining on them and started thinking in my mind whether it would be easier to pass them on the left or the right. About that same time, one of them looked back and noticed that I was getting close. He said something to his friend, and they sped up just a bit. For about 20 yards, we ran at the same pace, but then they slowed down again. I once more approached and got ready to pass them. For a second time, they sped up. It didn't take me long to realize what was going on. Each time I got closer, they would speed up to keep me from lapping them. They tried to be very secretive in looking over their shoulders to check my progress, but I was onto their game. So I decided to mess with them a little bit, too. The next time they sped up, I sped up with them. They sped up again, and I sped up again. This happened a third time, and then they took off sprinting. I let them sprint the rest of the way, and they stopped at the end of the lap. Smiling to myself, I finally passed them and continued to finish my hour long run.
If you're curious, I covered about seven miles in that hour, which would amount to 84 laps. Now you see why I don't need to be counting.
posted by The Trojan Woman | 2:29 PM
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