Luray Caverns
One of the good things about working in academia is that one's time is flexible, which lends itself well to working in workouts. Like today, when I teach class in the evenings, I can go in at the normal time in the morning and pencil in a long lunch hour, which lets me avoid running in the dark and breaks up an otherwise long day. So I planned on a 15 miler at lunch but, to make a long story short, I got delayed on the front end and had to meet with my dean on the back end so the time left got whittled to less than 90 minutes. I tossed the idea of a longer run and instead maximized the time I did have. After changing and running a warmup to Franklin Field, I figured I had 35 minutes to run and have time to cool down (1.5 miles) and shower/change/look presentable for my meeting. Those 35 minutes then got translated into 6 marathon pace miles (6 min pace).
To my delight, it was almost effortless. Just kept going round that track, 1:30 at a time. Usually MP runs are a bit intimidating, as I think I will one day try 26 miles at that speed. But today it was more like "26? bring it on!" Time for the MP run was 35:56. Total nine miles in 63:17. And made it to the meeting with my dean at 2:02 (2 minutes late; or early in academic time).
While I was running in the cold, blustery sunshine I put myself in a Nike commercial thats been on the airwaves lately. Lots of shots of folks training (many of them runners) in the early morning, in solitary situations, working hard etc. set to the opening strains of AC/DC's "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution." I'm not a big Nike fan but the commercial captures, and glorifies, the least glorious parts of training. So on days like today when getting a workout in is a real pain in the ass, it helps to visualize myself in a scene out of the commercial (you can see it here). Its hokey and corporate, but it helps me get out there. And it will help get me out there in the dark tomorrow morning.
And now I realize that I had commented on one of Zeke's posts yesterday of my resolution to stay off the track as long as possible. And here I am today. Funny. And I just went to his blog to pick up the URL to link to and see that he also comments on the same Nike commercial. Spooky.
Update on my triptych. Over the last few days I blew through Luray VA (see map), known for Luray Caverns (google it yourself if you want info). Luray Caverns is your classic roadside tourist attraction, where you can tour a network of underground caves with impressive stalactite/stalagmite formations. I headed through there this week out of nostalgia, as I went there in real life when I was 14. My dad, my sister and myself (I don't remember where my mom was) went on a road trip to Washington (home of one uncle) and then to Staunton VA (home of another uncle and my next virtual destination) and then back up to New York (where I grew up). I have vague memories of Luray Caverns, including the base of a broken off stalagmite (or is it a stalactite) which, due to years of people rubbing their palms on it, has gotten to look like sunny side up eggs. They also have an organ in the cave that uses stalagmites (?) as pipes. You spend an hour or two walking through the cave, buy a souvenier (I think I got a plastic penny whistle with a trombone-like thing) and then get back on the road.
I also remember it was in April, because I had just turned 14 and we actually took my presents on the trip with me so I could open them exactly on my birthday (I remember getting a Strat-o-matic baseball game among other things). And it was also several days after the first race I had ever run. While in Washington DC my Uncle Stephen asked if I wanted to run the Cherry Blossom Classic. While active in sports, I was not a runner then, but said sure, why not. I think my uncle was a bit surprised at that, and even more surprised when I ran the whole 10 miler, and finished in 83:20. I was really sore the next day, and touring the mall and especially going up the Capitol steps was very painful.
I suppose all junkies remember their first fix fondly.
To my delight, it was almost effortless. Just kept going round that track, 1:30 at a time. Usually MP runs are a bit intimidating, as I think I will one day try 26 miles at that speed. But today it was more like "26? bring it on!" Time for the MP run was 35:56. Total nine miles in 63:17. And made it to the meeting with my dean at 2:02 (2 minutes late; or early in academic time).
While I was running in the cold, blustery sunshine I put myself in a Nike commercial thats been on the airwaves lately. Lots of shots of folks training (many of them runners) in the early morning, in solitary situations, working hard etc. set to the opening strains of AC/DC's "Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution." I'm not a big Nike fan but the commercial captures, and glorifies, the least glorious parts of training. So on days like today when getting a workout in is a real pain in the ass, it helps to visualize myself in a scene out of the commercial (you can see it here). Its hokey and corporate, but it helps me get out there. And it will help get me out there in the dark tomorrow morning.
And now I realize that I had commented on one of Zeke's posts yesterday of my resolution to stay off the track as long as possible. And here I am today. Funny. And I just went to his blog to pick up the URL to link to and see that he also comments on the same Nike commercial. Spooky.
Update on my triptych. Over the last few days I blew through Luray VA (see map), known for Luray Caverns (google it yourself if you want info). Luray Caverns is your classic roadside tourist attraction, where you can tour a network of underground caves with impressive stalactite/stalagmite formations. I headed through there this week out of nostalgia, as I went there in real life when I was 14. My dad, my sister and myself (I don't remember where my mom was) went on a road trip to Washington (home of one uncle) and then to Staunton VA (home of another uncle and my next virtual destination) and then back up to New York (where I grew up). I have vague memories of Luray Caverns, including the base of a broken off stalagmite (or is it a stalactite) which, due to years of people rubbing their palms on it, has gotten to look like sunny side up eggs. They also have an organ in the cave that uses stalagmites (?) as pipes. You spend an hour or two walking through the cave, buy a souvenier (I think I got a plastic penny whistle with a trombone-like thing) and then get back on the road.
I also remember it was in April, because I had just turned 14 and we actually took my presents on the trip with me so I could open them exactly on my birthday (I remember getting a Strat-o-matic baseball game among other things). And it was also several days after the first race I had ever run. While in Washington DC my Uncle Stephen asked if I wanted to run the Cherry Blossom Classic. While active in sports, I was not a runner then, but said sure, why not. I think my uncle was a bit surprised at that, and even more surprised when I ran the whole 10 miler, and finished in 83:20. I was really sore the next day, and touring the mall and especially going up the Capitol steps was very painful.
I suppose all junkies remember their first fix fondly.
posted by seebo | 9:48 PM
1 Comments:
Seebo,
I don't consider a MP workout as speed work and I don't think Lydiard would either. MP is that strong aerobic effort that Lydiard says is so important.
I see that Nike commercial all the time now. I must have seen it 3-4 times within an hour last night.
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