On Saturday I did a “virtual 5k.” It was to raise money for the Dick Beardsley Foundation. It was called the Against the Wind 5K, it was for an awesome cause, and it was just kind of nice to do a race on my own time, without anyone else around me.
Here is a brief list of the things I thought about during my longer-than-I-wanted-it-to-be run. You can follow along on the map below.
1. Holy crap, I’m hungry.
2. I really like this campus. I wish it were bigger, so I could spent all of my time looping it, instead of taking Route 22.
3. Oh, look, we are starting to go downhill.
4. Can I cross now? The light says no, but there are no cars…do I stop my watch while I wait for the light? Oh well, I’ll just go.
5. Would I enjoy this more or less if there were masses of people around me? Less, I think, although I did always love race day.
6. Hm. I have always wondered if this deli would make as good a prosciutto sandwich as they make at the Iron Tomato.
7. That can’t be my turnaround already, can it? It is! Boy, that’s a slow first half.
8. Boy, am I snotty today. I can’t stop my nose from dripping.
9. I always liked these apartments. They are called Juniper Walk. Isn’t that sweet? I do like juniper.
10. Maybe I will even mix myself a gin and tonic before we go out tonight. No, I can’t. We don’t have limes.
11. Even if I had just eaten that Cadbury egg for LUNCH instead of for BREAKFAST, I wouldn’t be starving like this now. Stupid, stupid!
12. What should this week’s stew be? I have chicken, chickpeas…I think that’s about it. Uh-oh.
13. What is that curious twinging pain in my hamstring?
14. That can’t be the road to home, can it? It is! Goodness!
15. I have just under a minute to make it if I want to pull negative splits.
16. That there is an old woman with a cane and some really wide shopping bags. I do not think I can squeeze between her and the telephone pole.
17. Home! God, I’m slow. Reverse splits, my ass.
Love it! Have had similar thoughts on runs, but never thought to write them down. Wonder if I will think differently now that I have read your post? And good for you for raising funds for the Dick Beardsley Foundation.
Thanks so much for posting this! And, on behalf of The Dick Beardsley Foundation, THANK YOU for running and for your support! 🙂
@ATW5K
@Jennifer thanks for coming by! I just thought it’d be fun to catalog the things I think about when I run. Someone once said that thinking while running was “active problem-solving,” but I can’t see that I solved any problems with these thoughts. 🙂 @Ami: SO MUCH FUN! hope to see the race again in 2013!