I came, I saw, I…attempted to conquer. Today was long and tiring, but for the most part, it was extremely rewarding. Today’s goal was to run ten miles total in three increments, so my day basically revolved around running, with a few short breaks between each run to relax and read and reenergize. It’s a pretty fantastic way to spend a day, and it just makes me that much more anxious to get to the summer when there are no papers due or exams to complete. Just two more weeks.
I finally managed to roll out of bed this morning sometime around 7:15 and hit the road for my four-miler at 7:23. I ran from campus to the Keg & Barrel, which is just about two miles from campus. As I was turning around in the desolate parking lot, I caught a glimpse of a bridge in the not-too-distant distance and decided I should go exploring, because that’s alway fun. Still running (well, perhaps more like jogging at this point), I went down a rather sketchy little back street to reach the bridge and to my surprise and happiness discovered that I had stumbled upon the portion of the Long Leaf Trace that reaches downtown Hattiesburg. I have gone on the Trace several times over the last few years, but only ever starting at the Southern Miss Trailhead, so it was interesting to suddenly stumble upon the other portion that had alluded me up until today. It was a nice, serene little jog over a bridge that offered a view of the charred ruins of Hattiesburg High, which I believe burned down before it ever opened its doors to any students. I made the little loop around the bridge, nothing more than a quarter-mile, if that. I then found another little circular exercise path hidden in a wooded area, which immediately called my name simply because of the woollike quality. It has now been almost four months since I’ve been in North Carolina and I’m beginning to have withdrawals, so, although it’s nothing like the Pisgah Forest, even this tiny little green, tree-covered area called my attention. I’m glad it did, because I made another interesting discovery: an old bike embedded in a tree. The things you find when you go exploring! Does anyone know the story behind this bike-in-the-tree?
abandoned Hattiesburg High in the distance
probably the most interesting thing I saw today. Benefits of going off the beaten path 🙂
When I got back to campus, it was 7:58. Four miles in thirty-five minutes. Not terrible. That first run of the morning was one of the best I’ve done, not in terms of time, but in terms of how I felt during and after the run. I must admit I’m usually pretty miserable as I’m kicking away the miles—it’s the feeling I get after the run is through that keeps bringing me back—but today I felt pretty good the entire time. There were, of course, the usual aches and burning muscles that you expect to occur, but other than that there was no discomfort that should not have been there. My stomach, which is sometimes a major problem for me, had no complaints the entire four miles, despite the fact that I did not have any breakfast, not even a banana (and I’m not the person to skip breakfast. I’m pretty much eating a good, hearty Southern breakfast every day: eggs, grits, sausage or bacon, and a deliciously unhealthy biscuit). That got me wondering about the effects of eating on running performance. I know it’s different for each individual, but I’m curious as to what some people have experienced in that regard. Generally before a morning run, I will eat a banana thirty minutes to an hour before the run, and I was worried this morning that I’d burn out too quickly because I didn’t have any fuel in my system, but that really didn’t happen.
Run #2, the first of a pair of 3-milers, was less than fantastic. I went out to the Long Leaf Trace USM trailhead and started off at 12:33. In stark contrast to the complete cloud coverage I had this morning, the sun had poked out quite strongly by the afternoon. The heat was bad, but it wasn’t awful. The worst part was that blasted Mississippi humidity. You’re sweating and uncomfortable the minute you step out the front door. Running three miles is a whole different story. I did manage to actually run the entire three miles without stopping in about 27 minutes, which is average for me, if not slightly slow. I was just glad to have finished. As my four-mile run this morning had been one of the best runs I’ve done, this little afternoon 3-miler was one of the worst I’ve ever done. Again, this is not necessarily due to my own performance, but has to do more with how I felt physically. The first mile and a half weren’t all that bad, but when I was heading back for the last stretch it became very difficult to breathe and that’s pretty much what I focused on the rest of the way. That humidity just makes easy breathing impossible, and that coupled with the fact that I often have trouble breathing properly while running anyway made for a pretty terrible mile and a half. There was then this strange and scary moment that was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I was very close to the university and could see the trailhead, indicating that I was maybe five minutes away. The longer I kept my eyes on the trailhead, however, the distance seemed to grow somehow, and then I started having a little panic attack thinking I’d never get to the end—obviously the panic did not help with my already-erratic breathing. It was far from a great run, but I do give myself credit for actually sticking it out. Never have I wanted to give up so much as during that run, but I didn’t. I have a very judgmental inner voice that is never satisfied with anything, but even that voice took a break from the criticism on this particular occasion. I hope all you other runners out there have had that experience after a bad run, because I know a lot of us can be quite hard on ourselves. While sometimes that’s necessary in order to push through the pain, sometimes it’s just useless. We are all human and we do the best we can.
When the time came for my third and final run, I was rather hesitant. After dinner, my stomach was feeling sort of upset, my legs were weary, and my bed and Netflix were calling my name. I knew how disappointed I’d be with myself if I didn’t at least try to accomplish this last run of the day, though, so at 7:00 I dutifully set out. I was pleasantly surprised by the weather. The temperature had dropped to a warmth that was not uncomfortable, and there was a fairly constant light breeze keeping things cool. The humidity, also, had gone down significantly. This final run began at 7:17 and lasted until 7:45. I ran around campus this time, starting and ending at Pride Field. There is a course that is used for pretty much every 5k held at my university, so I’ve become quite familiar with it. Tonight, however, I decided to mix things up and run the course in the reverse order. In so doing, I had to pay closer attention to where I was going and where I had been because I wasn’t quite so familiar with the course in this particular way. Having to pay closer attention obviously means that I was more alert, and being more alert allowed me to focus more on the course and less on the condition of my legs. Miraculously, although I had been feelings somewhat nauseous before starting the run, my stomach was once again perfectly fine throughout the three miles. My breathing was all right and my mentality was good. For the majority of this third and final run, I actually felt pretty good. It was a good note to end on, and now that I’m all showered and done writing, it’s high time to curl up in bed with a good movie. I’m thinking The Bostonians, simply because it features Christopher Reeve with a mustache and a Southern accent. It’s beautiful.
Sitting on the floor of my dorm, simultaneously drying my hair and reading a Bobby Kennedy biography. Today basically revolved around running and reading. It was fantastic, but I am so ready to snuggle up in bed now.
Thanks for reading and happy running! 🙂
In the Long Run 