Running is a Contact Sport!

Sat, April 2
8:45am, Ran 9 miles at in door track at Life Center
Time: 1:38:56; Pace: 10'59"

So overall today's run felt pretty good. I did two things to minimize my sore calve situation. I decided to stretch for 15 minutes before the run rather than my normal 5 minutes (thanks Sharon!) and then I iced (well with frozen veg) for 15 minutes after. At the beginning it was rough - probably until I got about 3 miles in it was tough on the old calves. Then between mile 4 and 6 I was in the zone and kinda on autopilot. Mile 7 and 8 was tough and mile 9 was the end so that always feels hard, but doable - end is in sight!

Now to explain the title of this blog entry. After a really rough week emotionally, I was in no mood to deal with people just standing in the middle of the track. Not today people. So for the last three miles I decided I was going to take no prisoners...no more Mrs. Nice Gal. I started singing, pretty loudly with my iPod, hoping this would not only motivate me to keep going, but also let people know I was coming and thereby strongly encouraging them to get the hell out of the way. Well, it did work for some. A few people were startled I think by this crazy sight, but they did move, so score. However, huge-workout-bag lady was not that lucky. This woman with a bag that maybe held a week's worth of work out clothes was standing on the track, by the edge talking with another woman who was off the track (I like her). Even though she might have thought she was out of the way, her gianormous bag was sticking into the middle of the track. At first I just went around them, singing my happy tunes, but after a few trips around unsuccessfully getting my message across, I finally made up my mind to take matters in my own hands, literally. I sorta felt like Kathy Bates in the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes", when she calls herself "Nowanda" or something like that after having a confrontation with some bitchy ladies over a parking space. I accidentally/on purpose bumped/pushed into her giant bag and said "oh, excuse me" as I flew by. I vaguely heard her mutter, "oh, I'm so sorry, pardon me" as I went by. Yes! Score! I might have had an evil grin on my face for at least one lap of the 81 laps I ran today. Was it mean? Maybe, but ya know what? Everyone has their limits and I had hit mine...again.

Oh, and I might have been the cause of a crash of a stack of aerobic steps that I heard crash down behind me as I happen to be running by the ladies who were in the middle of the track waiting to put their steps away. But I'll never tell. I'll let you decide. ;-)