Pace: Don’t know
Heart Rate: Don’t know
Wine
consumed: A few glasses with dinner and
the Great Gatsby
Every
weekend I’m in town, I do a 90 minute boxing/kickboxing boot camp on Saturday
and then again on Sunday (one of which I will soon have to give up for long runs). The boot camps are
usually brutal, but they make me feel like I can go eat a whole cake, guilt-free. This past Saturday, I arrived at the gym and
opened my gym bag to discover I was missing a toe shoe. Ruh roh.
How was I supposed to run? I did
not want to tear holes running in my expensive Injinji socks, so I first
tried a few laps in flip flops. I was
terrified I would trip and fall and they made an annoying THWACK with every
stride. So the next lap, I ran
barefoot. Several abrasions later, I
determined true barefoot running is for people tougher than I. Unable to reach a full lung-burning
sprint in flip flops or bare feet, I
felt a little cheated (by myself, not the instructor) after class.
This little gal is still missing her sole-mate. Have you seen him? There will be an awesome reward, and by awesome, I mean wine.
On Sunday, I showed up with my backup pair of toe shoes, but then nobody showed up to teach class. I stepped up
to the plate and led the group through what I hope was a really good series of
circuits (thanks to my friends KO Kennedy and M for pitching in as well). But I did not have them run because it was
pouring outside and I did not want to cause a mutiny my first time
teaching. I did the workout along with
the class and was underwhelmed by my cardio.
The amount of sweat on my clothing said it was a good workout, but I
never reached that "heart thumping out my chest" feeling that I associate with
killer cardio.
I drove home
in the steady rain, regretting that we didn't run. 73 degrees and rainy is actually the best
running weather Phoenix has seen in awhile.
So when I got home, I thought “why
not squeeze in some extra cardio?” and set out for a run in the rain. The rain made me fear for the safety of my
electronic devices, so I left my phone at home (separation anxiety,
anyone?). This meant I had no MapMyRun
and, worse, no music! I’ve read articles
and posts by running purists who insist that to truly run, you need to focus on
your running, breathing, form, etc. rather than distract yourself with
music. I am decidedly not
a running purist. I need music pounding
my eardrums into deafness to distract myself from the pain.
"What do you mean I can't have music on this run?"
It turned out to be not as bad as I expected. I did an
easy two mile loop. My neighborhood has
a lake (man-made, but beggars can’t be choosers) that is normally bustling with
dog walkers, kids, joggers, bikes, etc.
There was no bustle today. I
passed two kids paddling an inflatable raft up the lake, but otherwise I had
the place to myself. The rain dampened
the neighborhood sounds; all I heard were (1)
the tiny splashes as raindrops hit the lake, (2) the pitter-patter as I
ran under big, leafy trees, (3) my own quiet, but slightly squishy footsteps
(because I run on my mid-foot, I actually make dainty, light footsteps rather
than clomping), and (4) my own rhythmic breathing. I went fast enough to make my breathing hard,
but not enough to hurt. The rain made everything
look so green – rare in the desert. The two miles flew by. It was as close to Zen as I have ever gotten
during a run. It was just nice. Too bad it rains approximately 5 days a year
in Phoenix, so I may have to wait awhile before I can do this again. Maybe I’d be a better runner if I lived in,
say, Seattle.
That is some beautiful desert running weather rolling in.
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