I turned 18 this weekend. Nope- not years old (my 18th b-day was a decade ago, ack). I turned 18 miles old on Saturday morning as I finally crossed the 3-hour mark in continuous running.
Some observations about running for 3 hours
- You tend to think. A lot. About random, crazy things. Still not enough things to distract you when your leg feels like it is ready to detach from your hip socket, though.
- Rabid squirrel communities become a vast source of amusement, especially when you cover an out-and-back route over 4 consecutive trips.
- Surfer butts also provide an entertaining distraction (i.e. If you run on a coastal route, there are sure to be plenty of surfers around performing the "change out of wet suit into clothes while shielded only by a flimsy piece of terry cloth" ritual. This weekend I caught my first glimpse of a wayward butt cheek that had escaped one brave soul's towel. Did I mention I ran for 3 hours by myself?)
- iPod music on shuffle helps increase the excitement factor on the run. One minute it’s Billy Joel, the next 50 Cent and of course you just count the songs until Journey's Don't Stop Believin' and Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive pop up.
- Scary public water fountains housing warm, probably not filtered water start to look more like oases in the Sahara than the germ-infested incubators they really are.
- Tangerine-flavored Power Gel tastes less gross than Strawberry Banana-flavored Power Gel. However, Power Gel is still evil no matter the flavor. Why can't Dairy Queen Blizzards be considered a viable source of energy for running long distances? Oh well, at least I found a new gel flavor to choke down.
28 days until Chicago...
