(no subject)
Well, I ran a freaking marathon the other day! On Sunday, in San Francisco, and I'm hopelessly addicted. I've had my fair of the legal and not so legal substances, and I consider a runner's high up there with the rest- it's more subdued, but nevertheless powerful. In fact, I only really started coming down from it last night. So, feeling no stress (and those who know me, know how stressed I can get) for over a day, what a beautiful thing!
So, Derek (boyfriend) offered to drive me the day of the race, which is very considerate, considering we left around 5:30AM. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a gas station open right away, and missed a couple of turnoffs, soooo i started, like, 20 minutes after everyone else! Thousands of runners, and the place is practically deserted when I take off. The start was right along the beach, and the sky was this dark, dusty blue, cool but not cold or too windy - really, the perfect weather for a run.
Some other woman got a late start, too, so I ran the first mile with 'er. It was practically all hill, but nothing too steep or crazy. Around mile 2 I came across "the walkers". They are a formidable group and I weaved in and out of hundreds and hundreds of them. I was trying to catch up to the joggers (there are different groups in the race, so i basically got to work my way through the casual walkers to the serious joggers by the time I finished) which took, oh... I dunno, 12 miles or so?
The whole damn thing took about 4 hours and 40 minutes (subtracting my late start). About 10min 45sec mile pace. i think I took it a little "easy," but I didn't want any injuries for my first marathon. My arch is kinda fucked up in my left foot, so I made an apopintment with a sports doctor on campus for Thursday. I think I need arch supports, lotsa runners seem to get them (things you stick in your shoe, individually tailored and expensive... go financial aid!!!).
Anyway, I loved it. Hurt like hell, but I'm in love with this race, the distance, the challenge, all of it. i didn't even listen to music! I can't wait to recover (take it easy for about 2 months or so) and start training for my next. Either in 6 mo or a year, depends on how long it takes to feel normal again. It was funny watching all the runners walk around after the race, we all had these strange limps, gaits, abnormal walking methods. I still walk like I've got a wooden leg or something. I'm wondering if I should get crutches if my left foot continues to hurt like it does. In any case, I'm pretty gimp-ified.
I walked during the water breaks (every 2 miles), so that's something I'll want to work on for next time. Heh... I need to practice drinking fluids while running, it's really tough! Especially after 2 hours.
I spent that evening with Derek, and that was memorable. LIke, sometimes memories are classified in groups. LIke... I'll remember the walk to the shuttle bus to get to school, or drinking at this one bar. But, those specific incidents are grouped together. But, that night with Derek gets its own individual space in my memory. I was completely out of it and high from the run, and he watched this movie... uhm... Coffee and Cigarettes, I think it's called, while I napped. Then, he really felt like drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette, so we did, out on his balcony. Drug (dragged? drugged?) out a couple of chairs and sat outside with a smoke and coffee and talked. I thought I'd be sick if I had a cigarette so close after the run, but it was a satisfying combination. So, yeah, very cool.
So, I am soooo excited, because I just bought tickets to see And You Will Know Them by the Trail of Dead! Source Code & Tags is one of my favorite albums ever, definitely my fave of last year, and I'm excited to hear their new stuff, I think they're coming out with a new lp sometime early in 2005. Yay yay yay yay yay!!!!!!!!!! November 8th, American Music Hall. Can't WAIT.
Anyone have fun Halloween plans? I was reading about bates_motel's bash and I'm jealous. Sounds like a blast. Although I think I will have fun myself, there's gonna be a big apt. party on Saturday, and then I might go to the Castro with Derek and Deanna (roommate) on Sunday. I don't have a costume, per se, I think I'm just gonna do a cute orange/black outfit. Maybe those headband wavy antenna thingies, those always seem to work. Derek has been told by a couple people that he should do the Clark Kent/Superman deal (he's tall and has those black dorky but cute glasses and similar hair if he parted it), so I think I'm gonna drag him to Salvation Army soon to get a suit. I think that'd be funny.
Feeling weird about school, but nothing tangible that I can talk about. I had lunch with a few girls in my class and it just seemed so weird. The whole time I felt like I shouldn't be there. Not like... I wasn't smart enough or anything, but that my body should physically be somewhere else. just don't know where, doing who knows what. Kinda a weird feeling... I feel that way right now, but that's because I'm ditching class ;)
So, Derek (boyfriend) offered to drive me the day of the race, which is very considerate, considering we left around 5:30AM. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a gas station open right away, and missed a couple of turnoffs, soooo i started, like, 20 minutes after everyone else! Thousands of runners, and the place is practically deserted when I take off. The start was right along the beach, and the sky was this dark, dusty blue, cool but not cold or too windy - really, the perfect weather for a run.
Some other woman got a late start, too, so I ran the first mile with 'er. It was practically all hill, but nothing too steep or crazy. Around mile 2 I came across "the walkers". They are a formidable group and I weaved in and out of hundreds and hundreds of them. I was trying to catch up to the joggers (there are different groups in the race, so i basically got to work my way through the casual walkers to the serious joggers by the time I finished) which took, oh... I dunno, 12 miles or so?
The whole damn thing took about 4 hours and 40 minutes (subtracting my late start). About 10min 45sec mile pace. i think I took it a little "easy," but I didn't want any injuries for my first marathon. My arch is kinda fucked up in my left foot, so I made an apopintment with a sports doctor on campus for Thursday. I think I need arch supports, lotsa runners seem to get them (things you stick in your shoe, individually tailored and expensive... go financial aid!!!).
Anyway, I loved it. Hurt like hell, but I'm in love with this race, the distance, the challenge, all of it. i didn't even listen to music! I can't wait to recover (take it easy for about 2 months or so) and start training for my next. Either in 6 mo or a year, depends on how long it takes to feel normal again. It was funny watching all the runners walk around after the race, we all had these strange limps, gaits, abnormal walking methods. I still walk like I've got a wooden leg or something. I'm wondering if I should get crutches if my left foot continues to hurt like it does. In any case, I'm pretty gimp-ified.
I walked during the water breaks (every 2 miles), so that's something I'll want to work on for next time. Heh... I need to practice drinking fluids while running, it's really tough! Especially after 2 hours.
I spent that evening with Derek, and that was memorable. LIke, sometimes memories are classified in groups. LIke... I'll remember the walk to the shuttle bus to get to school, or drinking at this one bar. But, those specific incidents are grouped together. But, that night with Derek gets its own individual space in my memory. I was completely out of it and high from the run, and he watched this movie... uhm... Coffee and Cigarettes, I think it's called, while I napped. Then, he really felt like drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette, so we did, out on his balcony. Drug (dragged? drugged?) out a couple of chairs and sat outside with a smoke and coffee and talked. I thought I'd be sick if I had a cigarette so close after the run, but it was a satisfying combination. So, yeah, very cool.
So, I am soooo excited, because I just bought tickets to see And You Will Know Them by the Trail of Dead! Source Code & Tags is one of my favorite albums ever, definitely my fave of last year, and I'm excited to hear their new stuff, I think they're coming out with a new lp sometime early in 2005. Yay yay yay yay yay!!!!!!!!!! November 8th, American Music Hall. Can't WAIT.
Anyone have fun Halloween plans? I was reading about bates_motel's bash and I'm jealous. Sounds like a blast. Although I think I will have fun myself, there's gonna be a big apt. party on Saturday, and then I might go to the Castro with Derek and Deanna (roommate) on Sunday. I don't have a costume, per se, I think I'm just gonna do a cute orange/black outfit. Maybe those headband wavy antenna thingies, those always seem to work. Derek has been told by a couple people that he should do the Clark Kent/Superman deal (he's tall and has those black dorky but cute glasses and similar hair if he parted it), so I think I'm gonna drag him to Salvation Army soon to get a suit. I think that'd be funny.
Feeling weird about school, but nothing tangible that I can talk about. I had lunch with a few girls in my class and it just seemed so weird. The whole time I felt like I shouldn't be there. Not like... I wasn't smart enough or anything, but that my body should physically be somewhere else. just don't know where, doing who knows what. Kinda a weird feeling... I feel that way right now, but that's because I'm ditching class ;)