Running is bad.

Hmmm… How can I untie these shoes and make her stay with me?

But somehow I made it out of the house this afternoon and ran six and a half miles, WITHOUT STOPPING. That’s the cool part. I’m halfway in training for a half marathon (get it?!?) in October but I’m not sure that I’ll be ready by then. My goal is to do a sub-two hour race, but based on my time today (1 hour 8 minutes), I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it.

Perhaps a little tighter and she’ll trip.

I started running back in December on a dare, but I thought it would be good to get rid of that little bit of post-doc weight that seemed to follow me through the years, but it didn’t have the intended effect. In fact, I might have actually gained a little weight and I couldn’t figure out why. Until I read this article in Time. Seems to be that most of us over compensate when we start exercising. We reward ourselves with a donut or another glass of wine after exercising. We’re not very good at denying ourselves.

But that’s OK. I have heart disease in my family so that’s why I’m running! To make sure that I don’t have a heart attack at 40. But according to this article, vigorous exercise may not be the way to do it either. Sustained, low impact activity through the day is perhaps the most important factor.

OK… So another study shows that people with chronic lower back pain (that’s me!!) have a better quality of life when they exercise (including running!) four times a week. Despite my best intentions, I can only make three days a week. That fourth day is mighty elusive and now that classes are starting, I don’t see me magically finding the time to add the fourth day.

So why do I keep doing it?

To give Max something to do, of course!

I run because…

When I first started running, it was because everyone else in my lab did and I wanted to see what the big deal was.

Then, I kept running because I wanted to live forever and I thought that running was the way to do it.

Next, I discovered the endorphin rush. I love the way I feel after a good run.

After that, I found how many calories are in a glass of wine and a pat of butter and I decided to run to make sure that I could still enjoy those things.

Now, I run because my husband does and I want to make sure that I can keep up with him when we get old.

__________

Did you watch 60 Minutes tonight?

In particular, did you watch the story on resveratrol? Researchers are finding out that, at least in mice, resveratrol might just be the fountain of youth.

Resveratrol is found in extremely high concentrations in the skin of grapes. Because in the production of red wine, the juice sits on the grape skins, a lot of resveratrol ends up in the wine. This compound might just be the reason behind the “French Paradox.”

The researchers have created a pill that contains the amount of resveratrol that is found in 1000 bottles of wine. Mice that are given this pill along with a high fat diet are healthier and do better in exercise trials that those that don’t get it. I’m not sure I can drink 1000 bottles of wine a night, but I’m willing to start with a glass or two…

Does that mean that if the human trial show the same results, resveratrol might be the new dopant for professional athletes? Will Lance Armstrong have to be tested for resveratrol along with steroids when he enters a race? Will Tyler Hansbrough have to pass up red wine at parties on Franklin Street because of random drug testing?

I don’t know, but I wish that I had better records of my running times when I was in grad school because I drank beer back then. I am convinced that I am running faster now; perhaps wine is the reason?

I got schooled by a 66 year old woman

I ran my very first 5K yesterday. And when I say ran, I mean I ran the ENTIRE way.

It was an experience. When I was running in grad school, I was a solitary runner. No iPod, no running partner, no nothing. I would pick the oddest times to go out so I wouldn’t run into anyone and accidentally have to run the same course as someone else.

But picking up running in MI has been difficult for me. I’ve had some motivation problems; partially because it is so cold (starting running in November in MI was not one of the smartest things I’ve done), partially because I feel guilty leaving the office in the middle of the day to go out for a run.

(I’m not a morning runner. I need to wake up and get some coffee in me and get warmed up. Hopping out of bed into the running shoes and out into the cold does not seem like something that a reasonably intelligent person would do.)

But when I was challenged to a half marathon, Lizzy wanted to go out on runs together.

I was hesitant at first because I have always been a private runner. I thought I was slow and didn’t want anyone else to know how slow I ran. I liked the time to think and work out problems and sometimes just turn the brain off. But I capitulated. It really was the only way to get her off my back!

But I found out that I liked it. I like having someone to run with and keep me motivated. I can’t slack off during the weekend because Tuesdays are going to hurt like heck if I haven’t run for the entire week since our last run.

But back to the 5K.

Lizzy met me at the house and we drove together to the library where the race was being held. It was 22 °F when we left the house, I do not lie to you. I don’t think I’ve been outside voluntarily when it was that cold out, ever. I run in tights and I thought my legs were going to freeze off.

She tried to get me to go out for a warm-up run, but I didn’t want to expend all of my energy just trying to stay warm. I stopped at the 8 minute mark because I thought I was about to lose a finger or ear or something else that Husband likes.

I was amazed at how many women there were out for this race:

This is us standing around at the starting line. I was surprised at the number of high school girls were there. I guess this was a pre-training run for cross country (XC??). Lizzy made us move to the front of the pack, which didn’t bother me at the time.

But when the race started, I realized the flaw in that plan.

It was like those movies where there is a really slow person on the highway and the rest of the cars go flying past giving them the finger.

Women at 10AM on a wintry morning are much nicer and don’t flip people the bird, especially when there are photographers.

This is us at the beginning of the race:

I would have run with a comforter around me if I had realized how cold it was going to be. Either that or dragged a space heater with an extension cord.

We were going to run at a 10 minute mile pace, but Lizzy pretty much left me in the dust. That was OK. It gave me time to think about how cold I was.

This was me at the end of the race:

Notice, I’ve lost the hood and the gloves. Notice the LOVELY form. I have my arms tucked up so high that I’m surprised someone didn’t start playing the Chicken Dance song. I’m concentrating awfully hard on the sugar cookies I saw the other people eating on the other side of the finish line.

My time was 31:59.9; seriously. That’s what the “official” time was. I’m pretty happy with it. It’s a PR. (He he) It’s also 2.5 minutes shorter than the unofficial 5K I ran around the neighborhood.

There were high and low points in the race. High points:
- The energy. Everyone was so excited and volunteers were nice and cheering and giving us so much encouragement.
- The motivation. Towards the end, my super competitiveness kicked in and I decided I wanted to come in ahead of the people in front of me. When I got close to one of the unlucky ones, I noticed that her husband/SO/really great friend was running on the sidewalk beside her. This was a women’s only race so it stood out. I heard him encouraging her the whole way. “You can make it! Just a little more. See those flags up there, that’s the end!!” When I passed her (don’t I feel great now!), he started saying to her “Keep up with her, you can do it! Keep your eye on her and let her set the pace.” It felt kind of good to be an unintentional pace setter.  

Low points:
- I got schooled by a 66 year old woman. She ran a 23 minute and change race.
- I got schooled by people who were running/walking. Again, seriously. I would pass them as they were walking, then they would blow past me. It got to the point that I couldn’t even catch up as they were walking.
- The realization that I am hyper-competitive. I spent way to much time today thinking about my time and comparing myself to that 66 year old woman. I used to run in grad school simply because I loved it. I want to make sure that I keep running for the same reason, not to win some silly race.

(Get ready for the segue that will make sense, promise.) We had Chinese for dinner tonight. It was pretty good, but the best part of the dinner was the fortune cookie:

Winners forget they’re in a race, they just love to run.

Is it live or is it Memorex?

The great thing about teaching is that you get a new audience every year. I get to recycle my stories year after year, which makes up for having a boring life!

But I’ve been noticing lately that my stories are starting to feel like exactly that: stories. They don’t feel like my personal experiences anymore. I’ve told them so many times that it isn’t remembering anymore, it is storytelling. I’ll be in the middle of a tale and think to myself: “Did it really happen that way or are you rearranging and modifying it for effect?”

Not that I have a problem with creative license in my own life, especially if it makes people laugh. I’m not trying to pass some of this off as a memoir or trying to get money out of people. But it does start to make me wonder about how much I “remember” is actually real or embellished.

Because of this, I’ve also started to wonder a few times if the things really did happen to me, or am I remembering something that someone else said. Did I think it was funny and just wanted it to happen to me so I co-opted it for my own? I have told stories that I wish had happened to me, but I usually make sure to ‘fess up at the end.

Memory is a strange thing that way. I keep telling the stories so that I don’t forget them. But I really hope that I’m not making up a past that didn’t exist!

_____________

Running update: 5K today!! Not a real race, but I planned out a route in my neighborhood. Yahoo Maps told me it was 3.1 miles. I did it in 34:43. 11:30 pace, not bad!!

_______________

Project 365 – No. 90 (November 19, 2008)

Fun in the non majors lab! What you can’t see is the smoke rising off of the watch plate. It was a very exciting day.

Project 365 – No. 91 (November 20, 2008)

We serve our cats from only the finest Riedel. (I know, I know. Creepy Cat Woman.)

Project 365 – No. 92 (November 21, 2008)

Our friends at Dusty’s for the Champagne tasting. YAY!! Champagne MegaFriday!!

Project 365 – No. 93 (November 22, 2008)

My attempt at Indian food. It was very good. Promise.

Project 365 – No. 94 (November 23, 2008)

This is a tree on my running route. I was very excited to see that it had apples!! That gives me hope for the Bartlett Pear that I planted. If I can just keep the deer away from it until it gets big enough, I might have pears!!

Too Lazy…

To post photos. I have some, but running and cooking makes a girl slow and lazy.

I cooked my first Indian today. Spinach and lamb curry and a vegetable curry. The veggie curry came out much better than the lamb, but the lamb has possibilities. Next time (and there will be a next time!!), less water, less spinach and more spice!! We had one of our special bottles of Italian red with dinner. It was a marzemino from northern Italy (Trentino) that we brought back with us. (A case of wine weighs about 48 pounds, which is just under the weight limit for international flights. The duties on wine are actually pretty low so it is easy to bring back your favorites from Europe! Just make sure you declare wine when you come through customs. If not, there is probably a strip search and long delays in your future…)

The acidity of the Italian wine cut through the richness of the food for a nice contrast. The wine was a lighter wine with low alcohol. Who would have thought that Italian and Indian would go well together? I wish that American producers would rediscover low alcohol wines. It was such a treat to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and not feel like we had a third course.

But the reason I don’t feel too guilty about all the food and the wine with dinner is that I ran today.

I FINALLY got the battery in one of my running watches replaced today so I know exactly how slow I am. It is a short run from our house to my favorite jewelry store, the Wooden Skate where I got the battery changed out. It is slightly uphill, and I think I was running at about a 11:30 pace. On the way home, it was closer to 10:30. It still means that a half marathon is over two hours, which is totally unacceptable.

Also unacceptable is running when it is freezing outside. Why might you ask?

• The battery on the iPod doesn’t last nearly as long. Thankfully, it lasts over 20 minutes which is all I’m running right now.
• No cute running shorts.
• Dressing for the cold is fine and dandy, but when you start getting hot, it is not good form to leave clothes littering the sidewalk.
• Running with a scarf wrapped around my mouth is nice for about 30 seconds. Then, the steam from heavy breathing starts making the scarf moist and chaffing. Explain that one to your friends, I dare ya.
• Ice on the sidewalk is dangerous.
• So is running on the road when the shoulders are only 12 inches wide.

Tomorrow is my “long” run. I’m aiming for 3.1 miles. If I’m not back in 45 minutes, look for ice cubes.