Saturday, January 14

Run-derful Saturday

While I've been sidelined by a headcold most of this week, nothing could keep me from gorging myself on running, with an extra side of running, today!

Note the lack of spectators...
Breakfast: The only thing better than spectating at a 5k/10k/half marathon with friends this morning would have been actually running. (But this is taper weekend for me. 13.1 miles are calling my name next weekend!)

Lunch: 2 mile run. Gorgeous weather. Legs felt great! Unfortunately this should have been 4 miles, but my insides weren't happy about the running (note to self: spicy food at dinner = unpleasant run the next day).

I waddled home with no major digestive disasters, so we'll call that a win.

I'm also a firm believer that since bad runs happen, it's best to get them out of the way before a major race, rather than on race day. So today's failed four miles might be a blessing in disguise?

Dinner: Houston Olympic Marathon Trials.
The time-delayed broadcast kept me off the interwebs for most of the afternoon. Nothing ruins a good sporting event like knowing the score ahead of time! But now I know...
Men's team: Keflezighi, Hall, Abdirahman
Women's team: Flanagan, Davila, Goucher
Perfection for me would have been doing my run while watching the Trials. Sadly I don't own a treadmill (and I wasn't about to hog one at the gym for two full hours) so I did intervals on my stationary bike instead. Yes, my gym equipment is in my living room. My home will never resemble a Pottery Barn catalog. I've made peace with that.

Dessert: I finally read Jamoosh's excellent local reporting on the Trials. (Seriously, how great are the photos he posted?)

The Trials left me wanting to be a better runner.
I want to go out to a track and crank out 800s RIGHT NOW. (Except there's that half marathon thing next weekend... Logic will win out. I promise.)

But after the race, I also wondered: Why so much tripping and elbowing in the men's race? There's a big, wide road out there... why bump into each other?

I'm not naive. Intentional roughing is no stranger to the world of track and field, but with Hall, Keflezighi, and Abdriahman, it seemed accidental. The cameras caught them bumping into one another and then apologizing for it. It didn't seem like cruel strategy, more like stumbling... but it's hard to think of any one of them as a stumbler.

Does anyone have any insight into the bumping?
Who were you rooting for? Were you surprised at any performances (or lack thereof)?

5 comments:

  1. My road bike/trainer is in my living room too.

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  2. I didn't watch the trials but glad to hear Goucher got in.
    Loved your post!

    Barbara
    My Running Shortz

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  3. Agreed--lots of jostling going on out there. I think it's probably just momentary lapses in concentration. And Abdi was cracking me up b/c he was Mr. Chatty Cathy out there. And he seemed to always be one of those getting tripped up, so maybe there is a correlation?

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  4. I've been partially sidelined by a chest cold and earache this week, so I haven't been doing all that much running. Glad you made it home without a digestive disaster! I hope that your stomach behaves itself this weekend!

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  5. @MissZippy - exactly! Abdi was paying as much attention to the crowd as to his running. I'll bet he's glad he made the team, otherwise he might have been second-guessing that strategy today!

    @Raquelita - Me too! ;)

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