Okay, so I lied. Last time I ran on the treadmill I said it would be the last time, but here I am again, writing about another trip to the gym. I apologize for this grievous lapse in judgment, and I assure you it won’t happen again.
How did this happen? Well, after my superb effort on the track, I figured the ‘mill would be a piece of cake, especially on a recovery run day. For those of you who don’t understand my crazy running lingo, a recovery run is when you do an easy workout the day after a hard effort. Despite what logic would dictate, recovery runs actually help you recuperate quicker, thus allowing you to put in many more painful days at the track. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?
Anyway, I hopped on the human hamster cage with the hopes of banging out a quick 5k, and the same thing happened as last time. I started getting tired, took a look at the timer, and realized that only eight minutes had passed. Shit. I stared at the television blankly for a few minutes, and then looked back down. Eleven minutes. This continued, every minute, on the minute, until I eventually finished the 5K. Wasn’t this the same body that ran eight miles with ease just yesterday? I don’t get it.
Luckily, this is the last I’ll have to worry about running for a few days. I have a mandatory rest tomorrow, followed by a long run the next day. I figure I’ll spend the next 24+ hours relaxing, eating plenty of carbohydrates (they’re fuel for my legs, you know), and trying not to drink heavily. I can’t remember the last weekend I didn’t get drunk, so this should be a challenge.
A bigger challenge than running a marathon in six weeks? We’ll find out soon enough.
This article appears in Sep 28 – Oct 4, 2006.
