September 4, 2007

• Race Day!

  Sunday was race day.

  When my friend and colleague Helen asked me to join her in the 10K Great Scottish Run, I had only the slightest moment of hesitation – I’d never run a long race before. But if I could do 7K (I’ve run a few here and there in the past), surely 3 more wouldn’t kill me. Plus, I was already running at least three times a week for fitness and mental clarity. Helen assured me that I was in good enough shape to leap right into training and aim for a killer time. Her partner is a marathon pro, and she’s run a fair number of races herself; it was good to have an expert on board to check in with.

  Aside from Helen reassuring me that I was fit enough to run the race, I wanted to run it because the training schedule implemented structure into my life at a very chaotic time. I like having things to look forward to – even that something is as small as a new book coming out from a favorite author, a movie that looks incredible, a show that I am totally in to, an interesting exhibition that’s coming to town, a fresh New Yorker or Bust magazine in my mailbox, a 10K race. Looking forward to these small things are especially helpful when the larger picture of my future is temporarily fuzzy as we stagger across the ocean to set up our lives all over again for the third time in 5 years. Making it a point to get hyped up about the little joys that this world has to offer make it easier for me to chill out and take things one day at a time. They give me something concrete to focus on and celebrate. Training for this race did that for me in a major way. It made waiting to hear back from job applications bearable. It made reconciling my husband’s ideas for our next steps with mine less stressful. All the happy endorphins made saying goodbye to the loving, supportive community that we made here and letting go of this incredible chapter of our lives a little less painful.

  I threw myself into training. Even in Greece I was vigilant about my schedule, waking before the sun to speed up a mountain, little lizards scuttling underfoot. I liked training. I pushed my body above and beyond the mileage requirements; I began training for a 1/2 marathon even though the Great Scottish Run was only a 10K. My body wanted to go further and harder and faster. I itched to wake up and feel the adrenaline pumping. Days without running felt strange, like my legs were irritated with the stillness of regular life.

  The race itself was great. It was so packed towards the beginning and I’m not yet very good at passing people in those big, clustered crowds, so that was the only downfall. But the energy of the race was fantastic. People were dressed in costumes, bag pipers played throughout the route, an Indian band grooved near the 8K mark, a bride and groom with “Just Married” t-shirts exhausted themselves saying “thank you” to every “congratulations” that came their way. I ran the entire race; start to finish, with a big smile on my face.

  Out of 5,636 participants in the Great Scottish Run, I came in 1,433 with a time of 54 minutes, 17 seconds. My goal was under an hour, so I’m pleased as a peach. And that day, I was faster than 4,203 people – that is insane to me! The top female runner’s time was 34 minutes, 40 seconds. She is a real superstar. Can you imagine tearing it up like that!?! Next time I race, I’ll try to get myself in a faster muster group, though. I think I could have wailed harder at the beginning if I didn’t have to pass so many people. Passing is hard for me because I am super tall and my stride is super long – I’m afraid of tripping people, or getting tangled in someone. I’ll get over it, I’m sure.

  Poor Helen threw her back out and was unable to run. But I won for both of us and I am so grateful to have made a friend who would open me up to something that is such a good match for me. I prefer to run alone, but having someone to talk about the training with and to give me tips was the biggest help in the world.

  In other news, we’re all moved in to our friend’s flat where we’ll be while I finish up my contract at work (our lease was up and needed somewhere to crash in Glasgow while I finished work). Homelessness is weird and living out of a suitcase sucks, but our friends are so warm and great and generous: we couldn’t ask to crash a better couple’s home until we are Stateside again on 23 September.

  Also, I’m hard at work sorting through all of our photos from Greece for a photo-happy mega blog. I can’t wait to share them with you, my cheerful readers. I like doing photo blogging; its like scrap booking, except more people get to see it.
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  What do you look forward to?

  ::Random Tangent::
  This book, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, is amazing – go read it now. Seriouosly. It’s fresh and the character is rich. It’s The Virgin Suicides and The Heathers marinated, soaked to the bone, in literary grandure.

  Also good: H&M. I never went into one before, but a friend mentioned that they had really long jeans there, so I took a peek. Not a huge fan of the trendy-Mctrends, but the jeans are LONG! I’ve not been able to find pants that are not floods for the longest time and when I do they are at the Tall Girl or Long Tall [Wilting] Sally, stores that think that just because you are an Amazon, you are also a sad, douty wallflower who likes high-waisters and argyl. I bought 2 pairs of sexy, dark, bootcut jeans at H&M last night. Best of all, they are not the gross kind that show your ass crack! So to all you Tall Glasses of Water out there: H&M. The tag may say they are a 34 length, but trust me: they fit like a proper, leggy 38.

  • 3:34 am
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