Knee, hamstrings, & a -2 degree (F) wind chill. So I only ran 20.
Catchy title isn't it? Oh, that's not me... That's Mike. I'm just trying to guess what his blog post title will be today.
That man is unstoppable.
Despite his knee and hamstrings and a cold, cold wind blowing out of the north, Mike led us through 20 miles this morning.
It all started when I was posting to my blog yesterday. I looked at my log and realized I needed 19 miles. Commander Mike had already put out the APB to the local runners letting everyone know that "18 - 20" were on tap for today. So I thought I'd assert myself a little and declare 19 miles to be the distance to be traveled.
Within 10 minutes, I received an email from the leader stating I was mistaken. Twenty miles was the distance to be run. It turns out he does not like odd numbers. (Of course if I had said 20, he would have claimed a dislike for even numbers and would have made me run 19).
I acquiesced, but I scored one by getting the workout started 30 minutes earlier than usual. The grumbling was loud as we met at 6am. He yawned all the way to the starting line. For a minute there I thought I was with Marc in a rainstorm. Too cold to hang around stretching and chatting, we were off like herd a freaked cows. Mike was the lead cow with me trailing behind trying to figure out why we were sprinting the first 400 meters. "Gotta warm up!" he yelled. He's trying to kill me.
So I lost my cushy 9:30 first mile and we soon settled into normal pace. At mile 6 he gave me a strange look when I took a piece of bread out of my pocket and began eating it. I offered to share but I guess he prefers Gatorade.
His knee was talking to him early but the pain soon went away when his hamstrings acted up. When he tightened up I said to him, "It's because we ran a 5:00 first mile". He wasn't listening. Instead, he kept trying different paces to loosen things up. The only thing this did was to add extended surges to a long run. He's trying to kill me.
I tried to take his mind off the pain by telling him a joke about two herring. A good laugh encouraged me to bring out the one about a cow.
Ok, we're approaching the car at mile 17. He's hurting. So I say, "You better stop." He says, "I'll go 1/2 mile and turn to get 18". I say, "Ok, then I'll do 1 mile and get 19" (which was what I needed anyway). Well that was the end of that. That odd number thing. Not only does he not like odd numbers, he doesn't want me running odd numbers either .
He decides to trick me. He runs with me awhile and when he is supposed to turn he doesn't. And when I am supposed to turn he says, "Nothing's happened yet." Which is suppose to mean: Keep Moving!
Alas, 20 in the bank. Wouldn't have done it without him. Or at least I wouldn't have done it with a fast 1st mile, multiple surges, and a good dose of indecision at the end. I probably would have still told myself the jokes. I'm like that.
**********************************
End of Level 2
Can you believe 6 weeks have gone by? Tomorrow starts the next 3 week block. Level 3.
Last six weeks mileage:
58.57
60.2
61
65.7
67.3
69.2
Today: 20 miles @ 8:23 pace with a good friend (thanks for the brownie!)
That man is unstoppable.
Despite his knee and hamstrings and a cold, cold wind blowing out of the north, Mike led us through 20 miles this morning.
It all started when I was posting to my blog yesterday. I looked at my log and realized I needed 19 miles. Commander Mike had already put out the APB to the local runners letting everyone know that "18 - 20" were on tap for today. So I thought I'd assert myself a little and declare 19 miles to be the distance to be traveled.
Within 10 minutes, I received an email from the leader stating I was mistaken. Twenty miles was the distance to be run. It turns out he does not like odd numbers. (Of course if I had said 20, he would have claimed a dislike for even numbers and would have made me run 19).
I acquiesced, but I scored one by getting the workout started 30 minutes earlier than usual. The grumbling was loud as we met at 6am. He yawned all the way to the starting line. For a minute there I thought I was with Marc in a rainstorm. Too cold to hang around stretching and chatting, we were off like herd a freaked cows. Mike was the lead cow with me trailing behind trying to figure out why we were sprinting the first 400 meters. "Gotta warm up!" he yelled. He's trying to kill me.
So I lost my cushy 9:30 first mile and we soon settled into normal pace. At mile 6 he gave me a strange look when I took a piece of bread out of my pocket and began eating it. I offered to share but I guess he prefers Gatorade.
His knee was talking to him early but the pain soon went away when his hamstrings acted up. When he tightened up I said to him, "It's because we ran a 5:00 first mile". He wasn't listening. Instead, he kept trying different paces to loosen things up. The only thing this did was to add extended surges to a long run. He's trying to kill me.
I tried to take his mind off the pain by telling him a joke about two herring. A good laugh encouraged me to bring out the one about a cow.
Ok, we're approaching the car at mile 17. He's hurting. So I say, "You better stop." He says, "I'll go 1/2 mile and turn to get 18". I say, "Ok, then I'll do 1 mile and get 19" (which was what I needed anyway). Well that was the end of that. That odd number thing. Not only does he not like odd numbers, he doesn't want me running odd numbers either .
He decides to trick me. He runs with me awhile and when he is supposed to turn he doesn't. And when I am supposed to turn he says, "Nothing's happened yet." Which is suppose to mean: Keep Moving!
Alas, 20 in the bank. Wouldn't have done it without him. Or at least I wouldn't have done it with a fast 1st mile, multiple surges, and a good dose of indecision at the end. I probably would have still told myself the jokes. I'm like that.
**********************************
End of Level 2
Can you believe 6 weeks have gone by? Tomorrow starts the next 3 week block. Level 3.
Last six weeks mileage:
58.57
60.2
61
65.7
67.3
69.2
Today: 20 miles @ 8:23 pace with a good friend (thanks for the brownie!)
posted by Andrew at 10:09 AM
5 Comments:
Smirk! I was sure your title was going to be "A pain in the xxx", in fact didn't I keep saying that at the end. But then again, you have to put up with me. Thanks for another 'short' long run, it was great!
Sounds like a great run! I wish I was there...well, except for the bad joke part.
Another title suggestion: Two Oddballs Run an Even Twenty
What (who) doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Sounds like the phrase "with friends like XXXXX, who needs enemies" is applicable between you two. Nice job on the 20!
Sounds like a great run. At least it took your mind off the cold - attempted murder will do that for you.
only 20? my wife ran 24, similar windchill at an 8:32 pace. . . oh me? piddly 16 at 8:08 crashed on the foyer floor upon return
nice run out there!
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