Editor’s Notes: Motivational spite
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The News and Sentinel Half Marathon is a little less than a month away. Everybody ready?
If you're in good shape and won't be trying to cram a season's worth of training into 28 days, but you haven't signed up yet, there's still time.
Meanwhile, let me tell you all about my yearly adventures in do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do.
I can be hard-headed, I'll admit that. Present me with a "you really shouldn't do this," or even worse, "you probably CAN'T do this," and I will exert every ounce of energy trying.
So, when talk started of a heat wave a couple of weeks back, those of us who discuss half marathon training in the office started telling stories about bad experiences with training in the heat.
The problem, of course, is that it's not just uncomfortable. It can be dangerous.
So there I was, warning a much younger co-worker NOT to go out training for very long in the extreme heat; and she was nodding in agreement. As part of a later conversation, I was again talking about the importance of being wary of training in the heat when someone said to me "especially at your age."
Well.
Needless to say, the next day -- when the high was expected to be 97 -- I loaded up 140 ounces of water and sports drinks into my trusty backpack (along with three cooler blocks I'd pulled out of the freezer and one of those cooling towel thingies) and drove out to the trail head.
I need to say here that I wasn't being completely reckless. I had a plan. Maintain a 3 mph pace and pause at the end of every mile for a little sports drink and a bit more water. I knew it was going to take me a while, but I wasn't going for pace, I was going for distance ... and spite.
I made sure I was on a trail that was never too far from houses and one I knew from past experience never lost a cell signal. Someone knew where I was at several points on my journey.
Anyway, I set off with a backpack and a chip on my shoulders.
(By the way, the great thing about loading up a bunch of water to take with you is that the longer you go, the lighter the backpack gets. By the end, it's nearly empty.)
About a mile and a half in, I passed the only other person I saw running/walking fast out there that day. He said "I thought I was the only person crazy enough to be doing this in this heat!" I resisted the urge to say "No, no. I'm crazy, too," and "I've still got 12 miles to go!"
Speaking of which, have I mentioned math is not my strong suit; and apparently my trail math is even worse? I ended up doing a little over 14 miles on that trail that day, and spent the entire last mile trying to figure out how I had messed that up.
Now, back to the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do bit. It really is risky. Know your limits.
And let me tell you about the consequences. I was careful about the heat part. That was fine.
The bug bites and poison ivy are a different story. I'm still itchy.
So, know your limits AND pay attention to where you are walking and/or laying down your backpack.
When I'm not testing my limits just to stick it to someone who doubted me, I've also been trying some of the new parts of the race course. Fort Boreman hill is awesome -- really -- but I highly recommend you give it a try a couple of times before Aug. 15, and remember this hill is much earlier in the race than our old nemesis 13th Street hill was. I think you're going to love it.
Let's see, what else ... you're running out of time to break in new shoes, if you're thinking of getting a pair before the race. Do NOT try the half marathon in a brand new pair of shoes. Oh, and test your allegedly waterproof/"sport" sunscreen. Especially whatever you smear across your forehead ... it's a giant pain in the eyes if you get the wrong one.
Otherwise, get ready for a fun new, yet familiar experience this year. I don't plan to do anything spectacular. Heck, I don't even plan to do particularly well "for my age." But I do plan to finish before the parade starts and enjoy myself.
And, as I say every year, if I can do it, you can, too.
Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com.