CCM Diary: I Could Do Without the Extra Protein


Today was a tough day for running. It actually started last night. We were watching the Olympics and Ruth wanted to see the 4 x 400 men’s relay. NBC didn’t show the race live and their replay was pushed back toward the end of the night’s highlight program. When I checked the NBC website, they had the results but they didn’t have any video. So we had to stay up until after 11 o’clock, when NBC finally showed the race.

The men won silver, which wasn’t bad for what was essentially the B team, but it still marks the end of a 40 year gold streak in the event for the US. On the other hand we did get to see the US women’s 4 x 100 relay team break the world record set by the East Germans in the 80’s, when they were notorious for their use of performance enhancers.

After getting to sleep late, I slept poorly. Then we woke up early, at 5:30, so Ruth could get ready for the 7 AM arrival of her crew for their Saturday morning run.

I went out for my run a little after they left. It wasn’t quite as hot as it has been, but it was still well up in the 70s and humid enough so sweat started pouring from me almost instantly. With the weather and my lack of sleep, conditions for the run weren’t great, but not every day can be great. I put my head down and picked my knees up and churned through the 12 mile loop without worrying too much about my pace.

I was fine up until the ninth mile, when a bug flew into my mouth. It got stuck in the back of my throat and I couldn’t hack it out. When I gave up and tried to swallow it, that didn’t work right away either. Finally, I managed to wash the bug down, though the effort used up the rest of my fluids with 3 sweaty miles left to go. Luckily the bug didn’t seem to be one I’m allergic to, though I suppose eating a bug is less dangerous than being stung by one.

The rest of the run was uneventful. When I got home, Jane was watching Mitt Romney announce Paul Ryan as his VP candidate. I got there just in time to hear Romney introduce Ryan as “the next President of the United States”, which was good for a chuckle.

It was one of those days when the best part of the run came when it ended, like the proverbial guy who hits himself in the head because it feels so good when he stops. But slogging through days like this is what keeps us in shape for the better days.

(11.7 mi. run; 148#)

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