Running Naked

It's been raining for about six solid days here. I tried a treadmill run over the weekend, but there was about 210% humidity in the gym, and the smell of sweaty bodies was...unpleasant, to say the least. I took a few days off, because I'm supposedly resting up after my busy year of racing, and because I caught a nasty respiratory bug from my son. Merry Christmas to me!! I also headed back to the doctor for another check on my hip. More MRI's were ordered, more consults scheduled...it seems they can't pinpoint what the REAL trouble is or why it's not improving. More updates on that when I actually know something new which, if the current course is any indicator, could be a while.

Today I'd had enough. I had to go out and run. Yes it was raining, and yes I am recovering from a head cold. I know, I know. Running in the rain is probably a dumb thing to do when you're already sick. It had to be done, though. I was going bananas (not to mention making my family bananas with my cranky, haven't-been-for-a-run lately attitude.) Due to the serious downpour going on outside, I decided to eschew all of my "gadgetry" since most of it does not like to get wet. Those that know me are very likely gasping and passing out on the floor now. I am quite possibly the biggest nerd in the running world. I have my iPod, my Nike+, my Garmin, my heart monitor...I am WIRED when I run. I am an information freak. I like to know where I'm going, how far I've gone, how far I'm going, what my heart rate is, what my pace is, what my pace was, what the incline is, what my predicted finish time is, and the air speed velocity of a laden swallow. If it can be calculated, I want to know it. I spent last year practically drooling over all my data, calculating and figuring and PUSHING myself in order to set that new PR in Vegas.

Today, I decided it would just be me, my shoes, and the rain. Okay, I wasn't COMPLETELY naked. I did wear clothes. Electronically, however, I was denuded. I didn't even take my cell phone. It felt a little weird at first, being completely "dark"...not knowing my pace and having only my best guess as to how far I'd been. After the first ten minutes, it became blissful. I didn't care what my pace was. I listened to the rain and the water rushing down the storm drains (did I mention it's been raining for almost a week?) I heard the sound of my breathing and my wet shoes as they hit the asphalt. My constant thoughts while running in the last six months have been things like, "Hurry up, you're falling off pace," and "If you don't push yourself you're never going to get faster." Today, for the first time in a long time, I let go of the training mindset and just enjoyed the fact that I was out for a run in a rainstorm. It wasn't my fastest time, it wasn't my longest run, but it was the best run I've had in a long time.

I have got to run naked more often.

Amazing Vegas!!!

Wow!! What a way to end a great year of racing! I am overwhelmed by what a fantastic weekend we had in Vegas! In the first place, it meant so much to me that my whole family was there to support me. Coming to a race is usually a pretty boring event for them...let's face it, if they are lucky, they might see me start or MAYBE once on course, then they mostly just sit around at the finish line and wait for me to show up. Not that I love to subject them to that kind of boredom, but knowing they're waiting for me at the finish line really makes a race special for me.

Then, well, it was VEGAS!! Running along the strip is totally surreal!! There you are, running past the Mirage, the Tropicana, the adult video stores...yes, parts of the run are through a bit of a seedy part of the strip...but it really was an amazing experience. The streets and pedestrian bridges are FILLED with people cheering. In fact, I think that Vegas might've had the most spectators I've ever experienced. Of course, there were also a few elderly ladies with their ziplock baggies of pennies who decided to play Frogger across a sea of runners as they attempted to get to their favorite slots. That was interesting. And there was the pirate with the parrot on his shoulder who squawed out dirty comments to the runners as we went by. The parrot, not the pirate. And the hundreds of people running dressed as Elvis. Like I said, surreal!

Another high point of the weekend was meeting Meb Keflezighi at the race expo on Saturday. Oh. My. Gosh! What an inspirational guy. The nicest guy you'd ever want to meet, too. He took time to chat with me and wish me good luck. I figured I had to have a great race after being wished good luck by an Olympic Silver medal marathoner! (He showed me his Olympic medal and his NY Marathon medal, too!! Let me hold them! Yes, I was geeking out!)

Dogged as I have been by hip and knee problems in the last few months, I was thrilled with my race and set a new PR! If all that isn't enough, I got to see Meb again at the finish line and he congratulated me! The whole weekend was a dream for me. Thank you to everyone who helped and supported me in getting there. I'm going to take some time to rest and think up how in the world I'm ever going to top this amazing weekend and this amazing year of running!