Just did my first run in almost a month. Had a pulled hamstring, and then did something to my back that had me walking leaned forward about 20 degrees. If you've ever hurt your back, you know what I mean.
So I went out today, and was reminded of quite a few things that taking a month off caused me to notice. Here's a list of at least some of them:
1) Horses are big, powerful beasts. I'd love to ride sometime.
2) I hate some of the machinery I see out there at the lake. Specifically, recumbent bikes and those things that have a v-shaped base and a tall upright in front to grip, and you lean one direction and then the other to drive yourself forward. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, sorry. I never claimed to be a good descriptive writer.) Why do I hate those things? Because they remind me how prejudiced I am. Both recumbents and those "V" things are perfectly good ways to exercise. Arguably even better than my running, overall health-wise, because they are lower impact. Yet when I see them I have an immediate, but unjustified and shameful, feeling of smugness, as if I am somehow tougher or better than them. Silly.
3) Bikers and runners are equally rude on the trail and on the road.
4) Being unfit (remember, I just took a month off) makes even a slow 4 mile run seem hard. There was a time when I thought "just" running 4 miles was little more than a waste of time. Of course, it's not a waste. Anything is better than nothing.
5) There's no shame in being slow. The important thing is being out there doing something. The only thing to be ashamed of is not doing what you can to improve your fitness -- whatever that means for you in your situation.
6) I need to keep a piece of paper and pen in my car so I can write down all the things I think of while I'm running so I don't forget them, as I'm doing now. I usually have that, but didn't today for some reason.
(I love the Smithsonian Institution. Their collections of classic jazz and blues and country, etc. are really great. Listening to blues right now. Son House, Lightnin' Hopkins, Big Bill Broonzy, and a bunch more. Fabulous stuff!)
7) Even a reasonably cool day becomes a hot day when you run.
8) Running is fun.
9) (I probably shouldn't write this.) I think running somehow releases testosterone or something like that. I sometimes have these kinda weird violent thoughts when I'm running. Like, for example, today a cyclist refused to move over when coming toward me. I was already right on the edge of the road, so I couldn't easily move over any more. He almost brushed my shoulder. A real tool. After he went by I had an involuntary moment of -- I don't know what else to call it -- rage. I saw myself sticking a stick in his spokes, stomping his bike's drivetrain and then throwing his bike in the lake. When I "woke up" a few hundred yards later, I realized I was running a full minute and a half faster pace than I had been before the bike guy went by. I remember reading once how Lance Armstrong would motivate himself with anger. (It's my impression that he was angry a lot anyway.) I understand what that means. Adrenalin, fight-or-flight, all those things relating to the physiology of anger make sense to me.
10) Once you take a long break, it's easier to rationalize not going out there "one more time." I'd been off a long time already, and I know regaining a reasonable degree of fitness is going to be a long haul. So it's easy to say to myself, "I'll just wait one more day. My back will feel even better after another day or two, so I'll just wait a little longer." Something about a long break is de-motivating to get restarted.
11) I still don't want to try running with earbuds and music.
12) Probably all dog owners love their dogs, but Golden Retrievers really are the most attractive dogs out there. I REALLY hope when Abbey's 6 weeks are up, she has better stamina than she had before her treatment. The vet is cautiously optimistic that she will.
I *think* there were quite a few other things I thought about today, but I've forgotten them. And that's enough for this post anyway.
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