Tuesday, March 20, 2007

OK, I’m In

Whether it was the sunny day or just Landon’s ever-persuasive powers over me, I’ve decided to target the Cleveland Half Marathon on May 20 as the next to next race on my schedule.

I would like to find a 10K to run in the meantime, but I’m running against a scheduling conflict: I’m taking a Saturday class this semester, which meets from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays through April 21.

It was a big bummer when I thought I wouldn’t be able to do the Julie Zajac Memorial Run on April 15 in University Heights (I’m attached to a really neato calendar from some year past and it throws be off all the time). Julie went to John Carroll, so I was really sad that for the first time I’m qualifiably a runner and wouldn’t be able to make the run. But my computer calendar tells me I can make it! Thanks Bill Gates!

The Julie Zajac run, however, is a 5K. Any 10K suggestions?

Amidst all of these running decisions, I managed to get in a good swimming workout. It was an abbreviated session (as usual with work lately), but I tried out my triathlon suit in the water for the first time.

By the time I stopped swimming competitively, suit tech had just moved past the high-neck/back-zip style and onto the likes of paper-suits and other early- to mid-90s swimming fashions.

The high neck always freaked me out because of my paralyzing claustrophobia (I always thought I was going to get stuck in the suit if I wasn’t being strangled), so it was an experience to work with this suit today.

The suit.It was also the first time I tried Speedo FASTSKIN and any suit with legs. The material is supposed to absorb a minimal amount of water and dry quickly. I didn’t get a chance to hop on a bike at the rec. center (I get the sense that they wouldn’t want me running around, tracking water all over the place), but it was strange to feel the subtle evaporation of water from the suit when I climbed out of the pool.

But I would like to get a better sense of how it works when I’m running. And how I feel about wearing it in public.

Yet when I jumped in the water, I felt like the only appropriate thing to do was swim:

- 100 yards butterfly to start
- 500 yards free
- 500 yards free
- 200 yards free

Only 1,300 yards, but I will get back to my old distances in time. My recent focus on running has left less time for swimming. But only a few more weeks of the spring semester will take up my Monday and Wednesday afternoons. I cannot wait to have my five days back!

Speaking of Wednesday afternoons, I will try to run between work and the 6:15 p.m. class tomorrow. My motivation around that time of day tends to range from "conquer the world immediately after I run 10 miles" to "take a nap immediately after I wake up from my nap."

Let’s just hope for the former: I have a half-marathon to run in 60 days.

2 comments:

The Salty One said...

Congrats on making a big decision!!! I might run it too if I'm recovered enough by then. As for tune-ups, the only race I can think of longer than a 5k between now and then is the Hermes 10 miler. I would suggest that. I know it sounds intimidatingly long for a tune-up to a half, but it would be a good stepping-stone. If nothing else it should be a fun race, since it's pretty big. There's a 10k on May 5 (celebrating nurses), but that's a Saturday. There's another 5 miler in Chardon on April 15, a Sunday. For some reason, Northeast Ohio does not like 10ks.

Anyway, I'm really stoked you're going for the half. If you need any pointers, have any questions, or just need to vent any pre-race anxiety, you know where to find me!!!

PS last night we had sunshine, but that WIND is driving me nuts! Now all this rain?! UGH. After all this yuck is gone it'll be 90 degrees and 80% humidity! We just can't win :)

Joe said...

Good luck in the half. It seems that all of my blogger friends are doing a half in May.

I can't believe did 100 fly in WARM UP. You're sick! :-)