Sometimes we do things to appease others when we know we want to do it our way. Take today, for example. My wife texts from work that if I intend to run I should wait and go to the Y on a day pass because the wind chill was below zero and "running would be a dangerous idea."
Now, to be sure there is love and concern for my well-being behind that advice. But I think I would have survived. I acquiesced, however, and went to the Y tonight. It's been ages since I've been there; I don't even have a membership anymore, but I used daughter No. 2's pass (shame on me). The up side is that I took daughter No. 3 along and we got to run together again -- also for the first time in ages. But I gotta tell ya, running laps on an elevated wooden track is B O R I N G. Plus it involved freakin' math. Hello, I'm a writer. When I run outdoors I no longer count blocks and try to do the math (I did initially) but instead I rely on mapmyrun.com to tell me how far my legs carried me. And it's not like they make it easy with an even number of laps to equal a mile. No, it's 19 laps per mile. WTF?!
I contemplated -- briefly -- counting my miles 19 laps at a time and starting over after each one. Then I realized that not only would I have to keep track of which lap I was on but also which mile. I don't have enough digits for that. So I just counted the laps and figured the tally in my meager melon. Let's see, 19 and 19 is 38, times 2 is ... um ... 76! Got it! Four miles! Give or take. A couple of times I forgot what lap I was on -- 24 or 25 ... 33 or 34? Sometimes I gave myself the benefit of the doubt and went with the higher number, other times I dropped a lap, so I'm guessing it balanced out.
Anyway, the point is, the track is boring. While waiting for the swim team to end its practice so we could splash around in the pool a little before heading to the Silver Streaks basketball game, we hit the wellness center, daughter No. 3 boarding an elliptical and I trying to keep upright on a treadmill. As I tried to end my pitiful experiment I rolled off the end of the damned thing, yanking my iPod out of the nook in which it was nestled on the machine. I thudded onto the floor (standing but embarrassed) and the Nano bounced on the treadmill and eventually rolled off at my feet. I nervously encouraged my daughter to dismount more gracefully and we left. As we did, I looked down the line of machines to see a woman a little older than I giving me the evil eye of disapproval. Sorry, lady.
After a brief dip in the pool and a noisy sit in the steam room for me, we left for the basketball game. Thus ended my indoor run. My leg is still sore but it felt good to move. But I can't wait to get back on the street. Besides, there aren't any cans or stocking caps or anything else cool to scavenge at the Y. Well, come to think of it, there was an issue of Newsweek in the men's locker room that looked kind of interesting. ...
Today's Stats
Temp: 7 degrees F (outside)
Distance: 4 miles
Weekly Total: 8.3
Treasure: Nada.
iPod Playlist (shuffle)
Live Like We're Dying - Kris Allen
Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
Natural - Rob Thomas
Sullivan Street - Counting Crows
Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin) - Bruce Springsteen
Distance - Ryan Patrick McCullough
Wolves - Garth Brooks
Carmelita - Warren Zevon
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Time and Time Again - Counting Crows
Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles
Proudest Monkey - Dave Matthews Band
Reunion - Collective Soul
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