Getting back into that running thing…

Along with the rest of the country, we seem to be suffering through a particularly hot and humid summer this year.  Which seemed to result in my husband and I avoiding things that make us go outside.  Really, not the best for everyone as I need to get exercise in my day or I can become Suzy’s version of a waddling puff ball in no time.  And I’m working on it. 

So, I’ve been working on getting back into the running thing.  This past week, the weather seemed to let up some and I got my first run in over six months.  Well, let me clarify it.  My first 1/4 mile jog and 2 mile panting, crawling, dragging myself back to my car kind of run.  But I’m counting it.  Because you have to start somewhere.  I’ve decided that I’m going to start where I left off last year.  My first official run will be the local Halloween night run.  I’ve got two months to get from crappy to less than crappy.  So no big deal.  Ha!

Usually I run by myself, but my sister used to join me when we were training last year for the Disney Everest Challenge. Typical Georgia weather this time of year is 95 degrees with 250% humidity. At least that’s what it feels like. I cannot complete a run without looking like I just crawled out of a swimming pool. I have to take so many darn showers that my hair color lasts only 4 weeks rather than 6. But walking around smelling like a construction worker is not an option.

We had three different routes that we liked to take. A gravel running track at a local park, the subdivision across from my sister’s house (known for it’s large collection of hills and occasional movie star sighting), and a ritzy subdivision down the road from me. We chose these places because they are each interesting in their own right. Each has it own challenges, and we have less chance of getting bored.   I wrote the following blog entry about a year ago.  And it still makes me smile:

We tackled the gravel running track on monday, planning to work on speed. This track is mostly flat with a slight uphill grade on one side and is exactly 1K around. It encircles a small playground and is generally populated enough that we don’t feel unsafe yet don’t feel too crowded. We had been avoiding this track as of late because of a certain group of walkers that use it about the same time as we do. Since they can walk as fast as we run, their presence is incredibly annoying. Naturally, as we pull into the parking lot, so do they. The group consists of three women. Two of them are my age or older. The third is a younger woman who seems to be in excellent shape.

Did you ever wander across someone that you instantly disliked for no obvious reason at all? Well my sister and I are not her biggest fans. It took us a while to figure out that it’s not only the fact that she quite quickly leaves us in her walking dust, but she has a distinct resemblance to Kate from “Kate plus Eight“.

We decided to go in the opposite direction so as not to be intimidated. But everytime we passed her, we could swear she was glaring at us. We figure she’s either jealous, after all, I’m sure we look like Katherine Heigl and Catherine Zeta Jones in our sweaty running gear, or she has Superman-like hearing like my sister-in-law who can hear us talk about her a block away. Apparently, we were as annoying to her as she was to us.

But actually the main annoyance with the park that day was that apparently, the bugs all go there to exercise too. There were literally clouds of bugs in certain areas that you had no choice but to run through. And since we were covered in sweat, they ended up sticking to us. Nice visual, I bet. Nothing like running in the humidity, trying to look cooler than “Not Kate” with a bunch of bugs stuck to your face having a bug-party. We actually did our best time yet- 37.5 minutes, but I think it had something to do with trying to outrun the bugs.

Not wanting a repeat of bug-fest, we headed to the fancy subdivision near my house on Thursday. This community has a walking track that surrounds their huge swimming pool, community club, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground, etc., etc. The track is .7 mile around. We usually run it three times and then run the street in and back to get in that last mile. There was a group of teenagers shooting baskets in the basketball court. We have to run right next to them, so we did our best to look like “real” runners and picked up pace as best as possible. We are cool, yes we are.

We were getting in a decent run and were on our second lap when just as we were passing the basketball courts again, I happened to let out an unlady-like sound. As a reference point, I just want to offer here that I HAVE been upping my fiber, so I have an excuse. In the south, we refined women refer to it as “fluffing”. Of course my sister has to ask pretty darn loudly, “Did you just fart?” Ha! There went my coolness out the window. Thanks, sis.