My First Race
Last July 31st, I went to Jones Beach for the Marcum & Kliegman Long Island Workplace Challenge, of which the company I work for was a part. There was a bunch of us from work who joined this year's race and we were all excited - some of us newbies have been practicing after office hours to make sure we don't pass out in the middle of the race. When five o'clock came, we put on our running shoes and headed off to Jones Beach. I got to the beach park early but the traffic there was slow going that it took almost an hour to finally reach the parking lot. Fortunately, I made it there before seven, and since the race started late - I had enough time to acclimate myself to the bright yet slightly muggy weather and to the palpable excitement emitted by the crowd. It's one thing to expect a large crowd - it's another to be actually in the midst of a large crowd willing to engage their bodies towards a common goal: to run a 3.5 mile race. I for one was stoked. We were a happy mob like a school of kids waiting to ambush an ice cream truck.
The starting line for serious runners (9-minute mile or better) was on the right side while the casual runners took the left. The loudspeakers, which weren't loud enough, were placed on the far right so those of us on the left side couldn't hear much - actually anything from the speakers. I swear, my neighbor's car speakers blasted Guns N Roses louder sounds than the speakers they had at the race. They set up an elevated stage where they had some people address the crowd. Again, because of the ineffectual speakers, we couldn't hear a thing. I think they played the national anthem and had some people lead the crowd into some warm-up exercises. What I was sure of though was hearing the countdown through the din, with each number sounding louder than the last. The countdown was punctuated with the sound of a horn followed by a loud cheer as people poured out of the starting line.
On Your Plain White Walls
I’m a gray lizard on your plain white walls
Feeding on the bounty of flies
I see the world askew
Gigantic and round than any eyes of you
This gravity does nothing to point me up
To where heavens I should pray
Instead at times I am pulled down to your dusty floors
Fallen heavily in pain
Like some hapless lovers’ dive
Or an angel of shame
But I’m no cherub
I do what I want and I
Jump back in and dance and race
You see but flutter and scurry
You see but an undersized snake
I taste the air and all your flakes
I hear your heavy sluggish steps
As my body pulses
Spinal arc’s in verve
As I dance and race on this chalky floor
My elegance grace
These great white walls of yours
July Is National Hot Dog Month
Buying The Right Running Shoes
I never had bought running shoes because I hadnever thought of myself as a runner. I buy cross-training shoes. You know to cross-train - whatever the hell that means if your primary sport is TV watching. So, when I started running, I used my cross-trainers. They were good. If along the path of my run, I ever stepped on a piece of broken glass, I didn't know it. I finished my run with all my ground-hugging digits still intact; granted, I was huffing and puffing like a geriatric wolf, my feet, however, were doing fine.
After a couple more runs later, I mentioned to a long-time runner that my lower shins were feeling a bit of a pressure during my runs - a stretchy slight-aching feeling. Right away, he nodded his head and had that "of course" expression on his face.
"You need new shoes", he said.
I was showing signs of shin splints (particularly medial shin splints). With his guidance, I finally bought my very first running shoes. Here are three simple tips I got from him.
Find out your foot type. You could be pronated, supinated or neutral. A pronated foot tend to put more pressure on the inside of the foot, supinated puts more pressure on the outside, and neutral, well, you can guess this one. They say over-pronators tend to get shin splintts more. I was, I found out, a neutral with a slight pronation. The right type of shoes would indeed help me.
Get shoes that are one to two size bigger than your normal shoe size. This will give you enough space up front (you should have at least a finger-width of space between your toes and the inside wall of your shoes).
More expensive does not translate to better shoes. You can get inexpensive running shoes that would perform better for you than higher prices-ones, that is, as long as they FIT RIGHT. And to ensure that they do fit right, the best places to buy running shoes is at a running shoe store with sales people who are runners themselves. They can, much like my running friend, observe how you walk, and recommend the best shoe for you.
My new shoes are great. Not only do I not feel pain on my shins but I find that the soles of my feet are much less traumatized. I love my new New balance shoes. I know to some that doesn't sound as running serious as Saucony or Nike but like I said its about the fit and my feet couldn't agree more.
Four Quotes From J.K. Rowling Quotes
Running Is A Strange Thing
Like one time I was aiming for a 1.5 mile run. Before I started my first step I thought I would be able to do a solid run. Not even halfway through it though, I start having doubts. What's this I hear about a runner's high? Oh please, if such a thing really exists, I need it now! But it doesn't happen. Second wind? nope. It's like my mind splits into two and one of them says "stop right now or you're going to kill yourself" the other says "just a little further, just a little further..."
A runner friend said that it took him three months before he broke through that struggle mode, after which, he could run four miles in good stride. Now, he has even completed an ultra-long (50 mile) marathon and has qualified for this year's New York City Marathon. It has been done. He did it. I hope that I can too one day.
I do improve with my every run, albeit small and incremental as they are. When I started I couldn't finish a mile without walking parts of it and gasping for air when I'm done. Now I have postponed my gasping to the 2-mile mark.
I'm still psyched about running and I wish this crazy hot/humid then suddenly rainy/blustery weather would let up here in Long Island so I can run out there again and try for just a little further.
Run Amok
Anyway, there's this Workplace (Running) Challenge here in Long Island and I said, why not join, what better way to start, right? So I did. A bunch of us at work decided to practice for the big run (big for me but for you real runners out there it's a measly 3.5 mile hop). We decided to start off with a one mile run. Doesn't sound tough - but like I said, I've stopped running for a while so that mile was a challenge unto itself. To start off, my shoe laces came undone after just several paces (I really wouldn't care wearing those Velcro-strap sneakers even if I would look like a kindergartner. I was probably absent from school when they gave instructions on shoe-lace tying). And then not even halfway through, I just wanted to stop. That's it I've had enough - who was i kidding. But no one else was sharing my sentiment so I went along. Some of my fellow runners where able to hold decent conversations like it was a work on the park. Somebody asked me a question and all I could do was grunt a monosyllabic answer.
Then halfway through the run my belly, having been shaken enough already, decided to push off any air it may have held inside. Oh great, here I am farting with each step I took. Thankfully, I was at the back of the pack so no one got to share my redolent contributions. I'll avoid that strawberry yogurt next time.
Three-fourths of a mile and I just had to slow down. But it wasn't that bad, I took maybe a dozen walking steps then started running again. And yes, I did finish the one mile. Though it had not been all that pleasant during the run it really wasn't that bad and the feeling afterwards of being back in the game is very satisfying. Yes, I need to stop making excuses and go running again.
Hope to see you there on Jones Beach on July 31 and don't worry I'll make sure I don't do anymore gaseous contributions.