Posts
ORN: Did 45 minutes on a stationary bike Thursday, but who cares about that? Today, I ran a 10 mile tempo run, just like Ryan Hall, except he does 18 mile tempo runs in the mountains at near a 5'00"/mile pace. I managed to squeak out a tenner in 1:37'25", a 9'44" average pace. Still, Ryan Hall and I... like this [crosses fingers.] I'm feeling full of myself because that's a PR for me, beating my previous best time for 10 miles by over four minutes. [happy dance] I was queasy as heck about an hour afterward, but a Wasa cracker and some water helped settle my tummy. I couldn't imagine eating the sardines I had packed for breakfast. Squick. Anyhoozer, go me and my big PR.
My secret? Don't tell Ryan, but I had a bottle of Delirium Nocturnum after dinner last night. That was the carb-loading rocket fuel I needed to get over all those lousy hills.
I'm tapped out on things to write about these days. I'm grateful that a little birdie came along to offer this suggestion: What do you like and dislike from spectators at a race? My experience with races where spectators line the route for the whole course is limited to three events, but one really doesn't count because the spectators were pretty thin along the course except around the start/finish and in some of the parks. Here are some things I like.
- More cowbell. Cowbells are loud and obnoxious, but I have found that when they are rung by enthusiastic people, they can wake me up out of my mid-race fog. I got a fever, and the only prescription... is more cowbell! Whistles and other noise makers are good, too.
- Bands. As I was nearing the turnaround point in the 2007 Louisville Half Marathon, my first ever, there was a group of youths from a local marching band pounding out some phat beats. It was such an uplifting moment at a key point in the race that I wanted to stop and listen. Instead, I lifted my feet and got through the next few miles with higher spirits. The Derby Festival marathon and half marathon feature a number of bands along the route, including a jazz band around mile 11 or 12. The more, the merrier, I say.
- Data-aware cheerleaders, for lack of a better term. No, these aren't teenage girls from MIT wearing short skirts and bucky ball pom-poms, but nice folks with access to a list of bib numbers and names. As you run by, they quickly look you up and cheer out your name. Awesome, especially if you don't have a posse. [Like many, I like to travel light.] I love it much more than the people who just cheer for their Linda or Stan and then spend the rest of the day in their lawn chairs.
- Orange people. No, I'm not talking about Oompa Loompas. Some people have shown up at my races and handed out orange slices. They aren't official race volunteers, just nice people showing compassion. Much appreciated.
- People shouting out how great I look or how awesome I am. This is much better than hearing "Just a couple more miles," especially when you are near the split at a dual event, and I actually have 15 more miles and not two. Please don't throw out numbers. I know precisely how much more I have to endure.
- Spontaneous high fivers. These people just line the route and hold their hands out giving high-fives to racers. I like it, especially when kids do it, but I hope they have a bucket of hand sanitizer nearby. We runners can be a slimy lot.
- The drinkers. There's a tribe of frat boys at the Derby Festival races, somewhere along Southern Parkway, bearing the sign "As long as you run, we drink." They have coolers of beer and, for all I know, drink all morning. At the other end of the spectrum are gangs of more elegant people parking themselves along the route, sipping mimosas, and toasting us with great civility as we go by. This phenomenon is a complicated one for me. On the one hand, I like it, but I also wish they would offer me a drink. They never do, so I also hate it. Yet, the drinkers remind me that the beer tent awaits me at the finish line. Here I come, Duffman!
- The first aid people. During my marathon, there was a group of people [nurses?] around mile 18 handing out gobs of petroleum jelly and bandages. They'd also bind up blisters for you. Another group later on handed out single-use tubes of Chamois Butt'r. Thank you people! You rock!
I could write another blog post about what I hate from spectators, but that's a post for another day. Let's keep things positive, shall we? At this stage of the training season, the more positive, the better, I say.
3 comments:
Nice new (to me) layout.
I've never seen data-aware cheerleaders - that WOULD be awesome! I love high-fivers too.
Great list!!
Hooray for the orange people!
Post a Comment