Mar 12, 2007
If you show up to run, the rain will stop.
Date: March 10, 2007
Music: Didn’t need any
Event: 14 mile training run
Temperature: 50 degrees
I didn’t need an alarm clock to wake me up this morning. I woke up at 4:19 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. I stayed up last night to watch the U of L game and was so cranked up about the game, I had some trouble relaxing enough to go to sleep. Normally, I would have trouble just waking up instead of waking up early.
Nonetheless, I was up. I drank my usual pot of coffee, read the newspaper and had a nice breakfast of orange juice, bananas and whole wheat bagel, with peanut butter. I turned on the Weather Channel and began analyzing how I would dress for the run.
As I watched the Weather Channel’s “Weather on the Eights” and the other “Storm Team” talking heads, I realized that rain was in the forecast for the morning. I went outside and although still cool, the air felt like shorts and long-sleeved T-shirt weather. I opted for running shorts, running visor, (to shelter my face from rain), and my “Go Red” technical shirt. (From a breast cancer fund raiser.) After getting my fix of CNN “Headline News”, I grabbed my running gear and made the 17 mile drive to Fleet Feet.
When I arrived in the FF parking lot, everyone began getting out of their cars. I had to drive my daughter’s blue Neon, as I’ve had a coolant leak in my Ranger, and received a little ribbing about it. Someone commented on my “Go Red” shirt and I told them that Camille told me if I bought the shirt it would help in breast cancer research and it would “impress the ladies”. I mentioned that as I’ve been married for 27 years, that wasn’t a pertinent sales feature.
As always, we began debating the route. I had suggested we meet at the Belle of Louisville and run the Riverwalk to Shawnee Park and back. Jon and others said the Riverwalk was under water and impassable. We decided to follow a route that Emily Stoess had worked out the day before. It included a run down Frankfort Avenue. The problem was Emily hadn’t showed up. We decided to give her a few more minutes before we took off. Emily didn’t show up, so we took off to Seneca Park, with Danny Chesser and Donnie running ahead and out of sight. Our little group consisted of Maria, Joe, Annette, Sara, Kristy, Amy and Leslie.
We ran an easy pace of 9 minute miles and discussed several topics on the way to Seneca. As always, marathoning is the main topic. Training, race strategy, diet, marathon routes, etc. always come up in addition to movies, news, “what I did last night”, sports and other topics of interest. Politics and religion are usually not discussed, as most views on each are divergent and may result in discord in the group.
When we reached the park, we took a bathroom break and mingled with other runners from mini-marathon training groups. Their programs are laudable and provide training for casual runners. I'm sure the camaraderie and fellowship, both social and spiritual is rewarding. (I actually began running with one of these groups.) These programs provide a venue for beginners and but after the event is over, the runners, for the most part, go back to a non-running existence. My hope for these runners is that running becomes a large part of their lives and the goal-setting becomes second nature.
After our bathroom break, we headed out to Shelbyville Road to get us to Frankfort Avenue for the “Artsy-Fartsy” route. It is so-named because of the eclectic art shops, coffee houses, restaurants and bars that line Frankfort Avenue. Frankfort Avenue was just beginning to come to life, if hungover, after a Friday night of college students celebrating spring break.
We began the mostly down hill run on Frankfort and enjoyed the sights of the hip stores and restaurants along the way. The temperature was perfect, there was no rain and my running partners were interesting and informative as always. Annette and Maria were recovering from a bout with the nasty virus I had last week. Both said they were weak, but seemed to be running strong.
When we reached Mellwood, Leslie turned off to head home. We ran to Baxter Avenue and headed up the Baxter/Bardstown Road edition of the “Artsy-Fartsy” route. More hip shops, bars and restaurants all the way back to FF.
Soon we spotted the bell tower next to FF and knew we were almost home. As we were trudging up Bardstown Road, Annette asked me a question I have no answer for. “If I had not begun running how would my life be now?” It’s hard to imagine what my life would be like. Annette had no answer and neither did Maria. My thought is that running occupies such a large part of my life, living without running would unimaginable.
We arrived back at the store, changed and headed across the street for Heine Bros. Coffee. Soon Karen # 1 and Emily came in the store. They had gone to the Belle after all and had missed our 7 AM rendevous. So much for our communication system.
Well at least it didn’t rain.
Music: Didn’t need any
Event: 14 mile training run
Temperature: 50 degrees
I didn’t need an alarm clock to wake me up this morning. I woke up at 4:19 AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. I stayed up last night to watch the U of L game and was so cranked up about the game, I had some trouble relaxing enough to go to sleep. Normally, I would have trouble just waking up instead of waking up early.
Nonetheless, I was up. I drank my usual pot of coffee, read the newspaper and had a nice breakfast of orange juice, bananas and whole wheat bagel, with peanut butter. I turned on the Weather Channel and began analyzing how I would dress for the run.
As I watched the Weather Channel’s “Weather on the Eights” and the other “Storm Team” talking heads, I realized that rain was in the forecast for the morning. I went outside and although still cool, the air felt like shorts and long-sleeved T-shirt weather. I opted for running shorts, running visor, (to shelter my face from rain), and my “Go Red” technical shirt. (From a breast cancer fund raiser.) After getting my fix of CNN “Headline News”, I grabbed my running gear and made the 17 mile drive to Fleet Feet.
When I arrived in the FF parking lot, everyone began getting out of their cars. I had to drive my daughter’s blue Neon, as I’ve had a coolant leak in my Ranger, and received a little ribbing about it. Someone commented on my “Go Red” shirt and I told them that Camille told me if I bought the shirt it would help in breast cancer research and it would “impress the ladies”. I mentioned that as I’ve been married for 27 years, that wasn’t a pertinent sales feature.
As always, we began debating the route. I had suggested we meet at the Belle of Louisville and run the Riverwalk to Shawnee Park and back. Jon and others said the Riverwalk was under water and impassable. We decided to follow a route that Emily Stoess had worked out the day before. It included a run down Frankfort Avenue. The problem was Emily hadn’t showed up. We decided to give her a few more minutes before we took off. Emily didn’t show up, so we took off to Seneca Park, with Danny Chesser and Donnie running ahead and out of sight. Our little group consisted of Maria, Joe, Annette, Sara, Kristy, Amy and Leslie.
We ran an easy pace of 9 minute miles and discussed several topics on the way to Seneca. As always, marathoning is the main topic. Training, race strategy, diet, marathon routes, etc. always come up in addition to movies, news, “what I did last night”, sports and other topics of interest. Politics and religion are usually not discussed, as most views on each are divergent and may result in discord in the group.
When we reached the park, we took a bathroom break and mingled with other runners from mini-marathon training groups. Their programs are laudable and provide training for casual runners. I'm sure the camaraderie and fellowship, both social and spiritual is rewarding. (I actually began running with one of these groups.) These programs provide a venue for beginners and but after the event is over, the runners, for the most part, go back to a non-running existence. My hope for these runners is that running becomes a large part of their lives and the goal-setting becomes second nature.
After our bathroom break, we headed out to Shelbyville Road to get us to Frankfort Avenue for the “Artsy-Fartsy” route. It is so-named because of the eclectic art shops, coffee houses, restaurants and bars that line Frankfort Avenue. Frankfort Avenue was just beginning to come to life, if hungover, after a Friday night of college students celebrating spring break.
We began the mostly down hill run on Frankfort and enjoyed the sights of the hip stores and restaurants along the way. The temperature was perfect, there was no rain and my running partners were interesting and informative as always. Annette and Maria were recovering from a bout with the nasty virus I had last week. Both said they were weak, but seemed to be running strong.
When we reached Mellwood, Leslie turned off to head home. We ran to Baxter Avenue and headed up the Baxter/Bardstown Road edition of the “Artsy-Fartsy” route. More hip shops, bars and restaurants all the way back to FF.
Soon we spotted the bell tower next to FF and knew we were almost home. As we were trudging up Bardstown Road, Annette asked me a question I have no answer for. “If I had not begun running how would my life be now?” It’s hard to imagine what my life would be like. Annette had no answer and neither did Maria. My thought is that running occupies such a large part of my life, living without running would unimaginable.
We arrived back at the store, changed and headed across the street for Heine Bros. Coffee. Soon Karen # 1 and Emily came in the store. They had gone to the Belle after all and had missed our 7 AM rendevous. So much for our communication system.
Well at least it didn’t rain.
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