About a month ago I decided to do something "different" for my birthday celebration. During the week of my 35th birthday, I'm running 35 miles. For some, that's a lot; for others, that's practically nothing; for ME, I thought it would be the perfect length for a challenge that was somewhat daunting, but manageable.
I started on Saturday with a planned 3 miles that turned into 5.5 when everything felt good. Yesterday was a planned 10 miles (my longest planned run) that turned into 11 when I still had a little gas left. Today is Day 3 and OHMYGOODNESSMYLEGSARESOSORE. :) I don't know what I'm going to get done today - maybe an easy, slow, 3 miles as a recovery run? - but I feel good about my progress so far.
A few people have been asking some questions about my week of running (or running in general) and I thought I'd answer a few of them here:
Why are you running? Is someone chasing you?
In a manner of speaking. In order to get motivated to run, I often pretend that behind me is a hoard of political news shows anchors, and in front of me is a chocolate cupcake. This is a surprisingly effective combination.
Are you worried about running so much? What about getting injured?
I'm careful and I listen to my knees. They often say things to me like, "If you stop running now, we promise never to disobey you again." However, I know from experience that my knees are little lying troublemakers.
How fast do you run?
I'm not entirely sure. Maybe we could ask that toddler that just passed me on his tricycle? I think he has a tracking app on his iPhone.
Can you eat whatever you want because you're running this much?
Athletes often say that food is fuel. My body, for some inexplicable reason, prefers being fueled with things called "vegetables" and "lean protein" and "healthy fats." I keep trying to convince my body that ice cream and Nutella sandwiches are a reasonable substitute and that my pancreas is a vestigial organ, but my body refuses to pay attention.
So you're using this run to raise money for a charity. Why?
I am! I'm asking that people (who might be inclined to be birthday-gift-givers anyway) skip anything monetary they would normally do and instead make a donation to Blood: Water Mission, a really awesome nonprofit. I first learned about this nonprofit years ago and am impressed by its commitment to helping with practical needs in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the CDC, over 800,000 children under the age of 5 die every year from diarrhea often caused by a lack of a clean water source. This is a real problem where our money can make a direct difference.
Of course, I'm not doing this purely for altruistic reasons. Using my running to raise money for a good also makes me MUCH less likely to skip a run in order to sit in Starbucks with my Kindle.
You can donate at this link if you'd like, and thank you!
Any other questions out there? I'm happy to make up some more sleep-deprived answers. :)
Happy running!
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