I'm a total chicken when it comes to the heat. I like it to be about 55 when I have to do any kind of distance longer than 4 miles, which I'll have to start doing next week when my long run jumps to the 6-mile mark. This is week 11 of 30 in my marathon training and, as they say, slow and steady wins the race. I'm not looking to win the chicago marathon, I just want to finish without injury. At the same time, I do have a few small goals I'd like to accomplish along the way. I'd love to break a 10 minute mile on my shorter training runs. I'd love to be able to train a little later in the morning without wishing for death in the last mile. I'd love to figure out the combination of stretches that will loosen up my very tight calf muscles. But the big goal? Finishing without injury. Period.
I might start doing my cross-training with Team Trinity, the cycling team that does the Rodman Ride every year. Two of their organizers are friends of mine and they've been trying to get me on a bike for a few years now. Maybe this is my opportunity. I enjoy swimming but getting to a pool is problematic for me, and riding the bike or even doing the arc trainer at the gym is not as much fun as being outdoors. Just today, in that last half mile in which I was wishing for death and a cold shower, I saw the cutest little chipmunk dash across my path and I had to smile. Since I started running, I have a much greater appreciation for time spent outdoors and the direct effect it has on my mental health. Just being out there under the trees and smelling the smells of the early morning, before all the cars and buses have been out to foul up the air quality, before the garbage trucks and the street sweepers have swirled all the trash smells and the dust smells together, it's really idyllic. Kind of cool and green and lovely.
Stretching, part 2, coming up.
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