All-Caps Post. Because I Don’t Have My Phone Completely Figured Out Yet.
April 24, 2011
TODAY WAS A RED-LETTER DAY.
I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO RUN OUTSIDE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE MOVING TO ALASKA!
IT WAS WEIRD.
I HAVE BEEN TRAINING FOR A 5K NOW SINCE JANUARY AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT ON A TREADMILL. IT HAS BEEN BORING BUT DOABLE.
TODAY I FOUND OUT, HOWEVER, HOW REAL HILLS FEEL WHEN YOU RUN UP THEM WITH THE WIND IN YOUR FACE.
THEY HURT.
BADLY.
THE TREADMILL MADE ME FEEL LIKE I HAD ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING REALLY SPECTACULAR BUT I FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS ONLY PSEUDO-SPECTACULAR.
ALSO? ASPHALT IS HARD!
OUR HOUSE SITS ON 51.8 ACRES BUT NONE OF THAT LAND IS RUNABLE. THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS OR BIKE PATHS OR WALKING TRAILS WITH MARKERS AND WATER STATIONS.
SO I HAD TO GET HARD-CORE.
I WALKED DOWN OUR LONG DRIVEWAY WHILE SINGING LOUDLY TO WARD OFF LARGE WILDLIFE. WHEN I GOT TO THE STREET, HERE IS THE GEAR I WORE OR HAD IN MY POSSESSION FOR THE RUN. ON MY LEFT BICEP, MY PHONE WAS ATTACHED TO MY ARM WITH A VELCRO HOLDER THINGY. ON MY LEFT WRIST WAS MY GARMIN WHICH TOTALLY ROCKED, BY THE WAY!! IN MY RIGHT HAND I CARRIED MY IPOD AND IN MY LEFT HAND, I CARRIED A SMALL CAN OF BEAR SPRAY.
SEE? HARD CORE.
OR JUST REALLY STUPID.
OUR STREET, WHEN YOU TURN OFF OF IT FROM THE HIGHWAY, IS AT RIVER LEVEL.
THAT’S KINDA LOW IN CASE YOU DIDN’T CATCH THAT.
OUR HOUSE SITS ABOUT 400 FEET UP FROM THERE WHICH TELLS YOU THAT THE ROAD I RAN ON WAS DOWNHILL UNTIL I HIT THE TURN-AROUND POINT. AFTER THAT….WHEN I WAS THE MOST TIRED…..IT WAS UPHILL THE REST OF THE WAY BACK HOME.
I WAS GASPING LIKE A GIRL.
OH WAIT.
I AM A GIRL.
I RAN 2.89 MILES AND HAD TO KEEP MYSELF FROM CALLING YUMMY MAN TO COME PICK ME UP.
I DO HAVE DIGNITY, YOU KNOW.
NOT MUCH, BUT SOME.
WHEN I GOT BACK HOME, YUMMY MAN ASKED IF I SAW ANY WILDLIFE.
YOU MEAN THAT BIG, UGLY DOG, STANDING IN HIS FRONT YARD BARKING IN A BORED TONE LIKE…..”Y’ALL! HUMANS IN THE HOUSE WATCHING TV! YOU MAY WANNA COME SEE THIS. CHICK IS SO LOWER-48 IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY! MATCHING RUNNING CLOTHES AND NO HANDGUN…….FUNNY! OH…..AND SHE’S GASPING LIKE A GIRL! (SNORT!)”
