Sometimes I Run for Tacos
I thought of a zillion cool things to write about on my run this morning. Now, sitting here waiting for new brakes to be installed on my Ford Fiesta, I'm at a near loss. Near loss because words are actually getting written. Small victory.
Bigger victory? That morning run. It's November in Austin, Texas. When I planned the run - my weekly long run - earlier in the week (It is half marathon season and long runs, at least for me, don't just happen.), the advanced forecast said it would be in the upper sixties around sunrise. I can deal with upper sixties. Sort of. Far from my favorite (Trivia - below 50F is my fave), but it wasn't a deal breaker. Mid eighties later in the day? Yeah, screw that. So, anywho, I scheduled the run (with myself) and went on with my week. I woke up early this morning, ate breakfast, watched last night's "Grey's Anatomy", and then checked my weather app. It was 74F with 92% humidity. Did I fail to mention my absolute abhorrence of humidity? Look, to most people mid seventies and humid isn't that bad. And they're right - it isn't THAT bad. It could be worse. And it is. In the summer. Which is why I don't run in Austin in the summer. But it's fall. Like mid fall. It should be cooler. And less humid.
This is why I wait until November to start half marathon training. This is why my "long" run is only at six miles. Nonetheless, today was long run day. I thought about putting it off until tomorrow (I'm off tomorrow also), but the weather didn't look precipitously better (no massive cold front looming over west Texas). Moreover, Torchy's. As in tacos. Today is pay day. I honestly can't recall a more needed pay day and because of that I haven't eaten out since I got home from vacation early last week. Oh, I'm still broke, but I told myself if I held myself back, watched my spending - both caloric and financial - that I could treat myself to Torchy's Tacos. The other part of that? I had to run long. I had to burn a shit storm of calories. I'm cool with spending twenty bucks on tacos and queso, but I'm not cool with destroying my diet with tacos and queso. You can take the anorexia out of the girl, but...
So that's why I was out on the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike trail thirty minutes before sunrise. Sweating. Before sunrise. In fall. And people wonder why I love Scandinavia so much. Let me tell you. It takes a lot of effort to sweat thirty minutes before sunrise running in Stockholm in fall. How do I know? I did it two weeks ago. 37F and what seemed like negative humidity. I wore gloves and a beanie, kicked up multi-colored leaves, and jumped over the occasional mud puddle. That's fall running. And optimum half marathon season long run running weather.
Regardless, for the time being, I live in Austin, Texas, and, for better or worse, I like to run half marathons. In the winter. I'll run the 3M Half in January, the Austin Marathon Half Marathon in February, and then finish off the season on my birthday in Copenhagen with Lena at Go Running Copenhagen. Once I return from Scandinavia (I'll also be running in Gothenburg, Oslo, and Bergen where the weather will probably be next to perfect for me), it'll be practically summer and I'll quit running until this time next year. Right now, though, it's supposed to be fall and half marathon season in my world.
I'm sure the question in every readers' mind is why? Why would I put myself through this? Warm humid runs in November, an ever expanding long run, and the crap shoot that my body will hold up until race day, much less actually surviving that day? Easy answer? Because goals rock. Expanded answer? Because I have no idea what to do with myself if I'm not trying to achieve something. The let's-get-really-real answer? Five months of burning shit storms of calories is pretty cool after seven months of abject caloric caution.
If you don't often set goals, you won't have any idea why there were tears in my eyes for a brief moment this morning. I'm forty-eight years old and still have a body that can run. For that, I am exceedingly thankful. And, really, I could have not gone this morning. I drive right past my gym on the way to the trail. There wouldn't be (much) shame in skipping the run. Conditions were going to be shit (to me anyway). Instead of quitting, though, there I was - in the warmth and humidity - and I was running.
I told myself I didn't care about pace today (shitty conditions + concerns about pace = mind fuck) and shockingly I stuck to my word (The darkness for the first half of the run - I couldn't see my Garmin - helped A LOT). I stopped for water at the halfway mark. My pace had been ok, slower than I'll like come January, but I'd felt pretty good (that was another goal - feel good through 3 miles). As I set off for the second half, I reminded myself the goal was to finish, not blaze the trail. Conditions did not improve as the sun rose. I focused on my breathing. And Torchy's. And kept going. When I crossed the finish line, I checked my Garmin and discovered that I'd run a negative split! Amazingly, my fastest miles had been 4 and 5. I still wasn't as fast as I hope to be come race day, but I weathered the warmth (It was 77F when I finished) and humidity (well above 90%). Overall, it was a good morning.
And I earned Torchy's Tacos. Next long run, it might be chicken and waffles at The Grove, my favorite frozen pizza from Randall's, or a turkey burger and sweet potato fries at Hat Creek Burger Company. Remember the really real reason why I run. It burns calories and that means next to guilt-free eating. On long run days for the next five months.
Still, though, regardless of the calorie burn, goals rock. They do. Set. Adapt. Overcome. Succeed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Rock.
Bigger victory? That morning run. It's November in Austin, Texas. When I planned the run - my weekly long run - earlier in the week (It is half marathon season and long runs, at least for me, don't just happen.), the advanced forecast said it would be in the upper sixties around sunrise. I can deal with upper sixties. Sort of. Far from my favorite (Trivia - below 50F is my fave), but it wasn't a deal breaker. Mid eighties later in the day? Yeah, screw that. So, anywho, I scheduled the run (with myself) and went on with my week. I woke up early this morning, ate breakfast, watched last night's "Grey's Anatomy", and then checked my weather app. It was 74F with 92% humidity. Did I fail to mention my absolute abhorrence of humidity? Look, to most people mid seventies and humid isn't that bad. And they're right - it isn't THAT bad. It could be worse. And it is. In the summer. Which is why I don't run in Austin in the summer. But it's fall. Like mid fall. It should be cooler. And less humid.
This is why I wait until November to start half marathon training. This is why my "long" run is only at six miles. Nonetheless, today was long run day. I thought about putting it off until tomorrow (I'm off tomorrow also), but the weather didn't look precipitously better (no massive cold front looming over west Texas). Moreover, Torchy's. As in tacos. Today is pay day. I honestly can't recall a more needed pay day and because of that I haven't eaten out since I got home from vacation early last week. Oh, I'm still broke, but I told myself if I held myself back, watched my spending - both caloric and financial - that I could treat myself to Torchy's Tacos. The other part of that? I had to run long. I had to burn a shit storm of calories. I'm cool with spending twenty bucks on tacos and queso, but I'm not cool with destroying my diet with tacos and queso. You can take the anorexia out of the girl, but...
So that's why I was out on the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike trail thirty minutes before sunrise. Sweating. Before sunrise. In fall. And people wonder why I love Scandinavia so much. Let me tell you. It takes a lot of effort to sweat thirty minutes before sunrise running in Stockholm in fall. How do I know? I did it two weeks ago. 37F and what seemed like negative humidity. I wore gloves and a beanie, kicked up multi-colored leaves, and jumped over the occasional mud puddle. That's fall running. And optimum half marathon season long run running weather.
Regardless, for the time being, I live in Austin, Texas, and, for better or worse, I like to run half marathons. In the winter. I'll run the 3M Half in January, the Austin Marathon Half Marathon in February, and then finish off the season on my birthday in Copenhagen with Lena at Go Running Copenhagen. Once I return from Scandinavia (I'll also be running in Gothenburg, Oslo, and Bergen where the weather will probably be next to perfect for me), it'll be practically summer and I'll quit running until this time next year. Right now, though, it's supposed to be fall and half marathon season in my world.
I'm sure the question in every readers' mind is why? Why would I put myself through this? Warm humid runs in November, an ever expanding long run, and the crap shoot that my body will hold up until race day, much less actually surviving that day? Easy answer? Because goals rock. Expanded answer? Because I have no idea what to do with myself if I'm not trying to achieve something. The let's-get-really-real answer? Five months of burning shit storms of calories is pretty cool after seven months of abject caloric caution.
If you don't often set goals, you won't have any idea why there were tears in my eyes for a brief moment this morning. I'm forty-eight years old and still have a body that can run. For that, I am exceedingly thankful. And, really, I could have not gone this morning. I drive right past my gym on the way to the trail. There wouldn't be (much) shame in skipping the run. Conditions were going to be shit (to me anyway). Instead of quitting, though, there I was - in the warmth and humidity - and I was running.
I told myself I didn't care about pace today (shitty conditions + concerns about pace = mind fuck) and shockingly I stuck to my word (The darkness for the first half of the run - I couldn't see my Garmin - helped A LOT). I stopped for water at the halfway mark. My pace had been ok, slower than I'll like come January, but I'd felt pretty good (that was another goal - feel good through 3 miles). As I set off for the second half, I reminded myself the goal was to finish, not blaze the trail. Conditions did not improve as the sun rose. I focused on my breathing. And Torchy's. And kept going. When I crossed the finish line, I checked my Garmin and discovered that I'd run a negative split! Amazingly, my fastest miles had been 4 and 5. I still wasn't as fast as I hope to be come race day, but I weathered the warmth (It was 77F when I finished) and humidity (well above 90%). Overall, it was a good morning.
And I earned Torchy's Tacos. Next long run, it might be chicken and waffles at The Grove, my favorite frozen pizza from Randall's, or a turkey burger and sweet potato fries at Hat Creek Burger Company. Remember the really real reason why I run. It burns calories and that means next to guilt-free eating. On long run days for the next five months.
Still, though, regardless of the calorie burn, goals rock. They do. Set. Adapt. Overcome. Succeed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Rock.
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