(no subject)
I have a problem. I said that I didn't feel the need to buy anymore clothes, exercise or dressy, for a very, very long time after coming off a nearly yearlong stint in high-end retail.
I sold a good deal of my gently-used exercise gear in the last 2 weeks, making a profit despite selling mostly below retail, and then I turned around and bought 2 Zumba! Instructor tops on super-sale ($11.50 and $6.00). Now I am thisclose to buying a pair of colorful Asics boy-leg compression shorts that I fancied on the cover of the latest Runner's World, with a pair of new with tags Zumba! legging/tight that eluded me a few years ago on my watch list.
EDIT (11:15 AM, 9/8): The leggings slipped through my fingers and ended up going for more than I was willing to pay, but I did snag the less expensive Asics shorts instead :p
I experienced my first XC race this morning. I saw "experienced" because it was also my very first (and hopefully very last) DNF. *facepalms* The lessons learned:
7 LESSONS LEARNED
1) Embrace the mud. Wear dark-colored, preferably boy-leg compression shorts. I didn’t mind the mess, but I was genuinely afraid of falling in the muck. I understood immediately why the pacer blared, “Soft feet! Soft feet!” as the pack shot through to the first turn and the puddles grew deeper and more treacherous.
After 2 half-marathons, 3 5Ks, bridge run, 2-miler, trail run, many training runs Uptown and on the track, and today’s botched attempt, I think my beloved Minimus pair is finito.
Spray ‘n’ Wash and Penguin Sport Wash on the extra-rinse, heavy cycle are your best friends. I am grateful that the dirt did come out of my clothes.
2) You may be in decent shape (or think so), or have run a trail race, but XC is a different animal. Yikes is all I can say. It wasn’t even the hills. Those were vaguely fun, like a kiddie roller coaster. The heat, the terrain, and my mind and body being unready contributed to the course feeling longer than it was - and I had only traversed bits of it in the warm-up (1.94 miles’ worth) and the 0.8 miles I ran on the clock.
3) Fuel early enough prior to the race. I woke up at 5 AM to eat a Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar, my pre-race fuel of choice. I still felt a bit logy during the warm-up with Kat and Laura, and during the first mile, while I didn’t feel anything coming up, I didn’t feel so great.
4) I appreciate the track, trail, and road more now.
5) It was heartening to see runners of all builds and body types at the meet, not just the willowy, gazelle-like.
6) I need to incorporate strides into my runs. I need more speedwork and mental toughness in general.
7) I feel awful for letting down my team and biting off more than I could chew.
Houston Marathon training begins in earnest next week, and it’s 4 weeks ‘til my next. Time to make it count for realz.
I sold a good deal of my gently-used exercise gear in the last 2 weeks, making a profit despite selling mostly below retail, and then I turned around and bought 2 Zumba! Instructor tops on super-sale ($11.50 and $6.00). Now I am thisclose to buying a pair of colorful Asics boy-leg compression shorts that I fancied on the cover of the latest Runner's World, with a pair of new with tags Zumba! legging/tight that eluded me a few years ago on my watch list.
EDIT (11:15 AM, 9/8): The leggings slipped through my fingers and ended up going for more than I was willing to pay, but I did snag the less expensive Asics shorts instead :p
I experienced my first XC race this morning. I saw "experienced" because it was also my very first (and hopefully very last) DNF. *facepalms* The lessons learned:
7 LESSONS LEARNED
1) Embrace the mud. Wear dark-colored, preferably boy-leg compression shorts. I didn’t mind the mess, but I was genuinely afraid of falling in the muck. I understood immediately why the pacer blared, “Soft feet! Soft feet!” as the pack shot through to the first turn and the puddles grew deeper and more treacherous.
After 2 half-marathons, 3 5Ks, bridge run, 2-miler, trail run, many training runs Uptown and on the track, and today’s botched attempt, I think my beloved Minimus pair is finito.
Spray ‘n’ Wash and Penguin Sport Wash on the extra-rinse, heavy cycle are your best friends. I am grateful that the dirt did come out of my clothes.
2) You may be in decent shape (or think so), or have run a trail race, but XC is a different animal. Yikes is all I can say. It wasn’t even the hills. Those were vaguely fun, like a kiddie roller coaster. The heat, the terrain, and my mind and body being unready contributed to the course feeling longer than it was - and I had only traversed bits of it in the warm-up (1.94 miles’ worth) and the 0.8 miles I ran on the clock.
3) Fuel early enough prior to the race. I woke up at 5 AM to eat a Smooth Caffeinator Picky Bar, my pre-race fuel of choice. I still felt a bit logy during the warm-up with Kat and Laura, and during the first mile, while I didn’t feel anything coming up, I didn’t feel so great.
4) I appreciate the track, trail, and road more now.
5) It was heartening to see runners of all builds and body types at the meet, not just the willowy, gazelle-like.
6) I need to incorporate strides into my runs. I need more speedwork and mental toughness in general.
7) I feel awful for letting down my team and biting off more than I could chew.
Houston Marathon training begins in earnest next week, and it’s 4 weeks ‘til my next. Time to make it count for realz.