The Dreadmill

On Monday, I left Laramie at dawn and arrived at the Denver Airport at 9:30am for a 6:40pm flight. I ate two meals at Burger King then wanted to vomit. I did a lot of people watching and even saw Adam and Kara Goucher walk by. I thought of something witty to say, but in the end I kept my mouth shut. Adam had crutches and didn’t seem to be in a jovial mood. Then my flight was delayed! I’ve never eaten three meals in the same airport before. I got in around 2:30 on Tuesday morning and quickly passed out under the covers.

I met Bain for our usual Monday night run…but we did it on Tuesday night instead. We headed down the CCT and then went backwards on the “Ernst Loop” specifically up the “Ernst Hill” at Loftborough before screaming back on Wisconsin Ave. We met up with the Tuesday night crew at the Chevy Chase Store and, together, headed back down to the CCT. Bain and I left the pack and finished up where we started in Bethesda. The weather (cold steady rain and 35 degrees) pretty much sucked, but after you got going it was manageable. I felt very spry after taking Monday off (in airport for 10 hours plus travel) and did just under 13 miles.

I woke up this morning with a tummy ache. Instead of running (again) in the cold rain, I headed down to my treadmill. I hate the dreadmill. I hate everything about it. I feel like a lab rat (or a cute hamster) on a wheel. After 4 minutes I wanted to fall on a sword. I felt like I had been on there for days. I feel pity for those who ONLY run on treadmills. Part of why I like to run is based on the worldly experiences I encounter on a daily basis. Although sometimes insignificant, it beats staring at the calorie counter or the TV. I watched Morning Joe (my morning ritual) and dropped my pace from 8:00 to 7:25 miles over 5 miles. Easy stuff. Workout tonight. I hope it’s better than last week. I probably won’t do a workout next week as I’ll be (hopefully) racing the 3,000m and mile at the UMD meet.