Dealing with life's little inequities...

So, tonight, I had a great experience running (gasp of surprise!!).  For our half marathon training, we were scheduled to run five miles.  I usually run in the morning when it is cooler, but I had an interview for a job at 10:00.  Since I didn't get up early enough, I decided to run in the evening with Corey.  Wow, it was hot.  Like, if I could put flames around the word "hot" I would.  Greater than the temperature was the humidity, so even though we ran at 7:30 PM, it was like being in a sauna (minus the naked people and the actual steam).  Anyway, we walked a little bit at the end of each mile and had a drink from the fabulous and fashionable water fanny-pack (of which I may be purchasing another because it only holds two 10 oz. bottles, and 10 oz. is hardly enough to keep at gnat properly hydrated in the summer- I wanted to clonk Corey over the head and steal his 10 oz. bottle too).  To let you know just how much I sweat, I lost three lbs. tonight during my run.  I wish I could say it was all fat, but no- water weight, unfortunately.  I looked like I peed my pants, that's how sweaty I was.  It's pretty gross, but a necessary evil of running and most strenuous activities that people are crazy enough to do outside in the summer. 

So, that was the gross part of the run- not sure how I got off on that tangent when I was supposed to be telling you about my great run-experience tonight... Oh well- anyway- I did have a great experience running, which was really surprising since my evening started out to be pretty crappy.  I got the call that I did not get the job, which instantly plunged me into a spiral of emotion- part relief that I would not have to clean all the crap out of my classroom and try to find room in my house for all of it, and part frustration, because I have been trying unsuccessfully to get a job like this for the past year, and this was closest I'd been.  I have to admit that there were a few tears shed and Corey did a little shoulder-patting (he is excellent at shoulder-patting and using the calm-reasonable tone to bring me back to earth when I need a reality check- thanks, hon!).  So, in the past this type of disappointment would have sent me into paroxysms of eating.  Like a serious binge of all my favorites plus a lot of other unnecessary crap thrown in for good measure.  I have to admit that I had a vision of my favorite Chinese buffet pass before my eyes after I got off rejection call, but I also had a vision of me trying to run after eating at a buffet and barfing in a cornfield somewhere- not a good image, so no buffet. 

Running clothes.  These were so wet after tonight's run
that we had to hang them up to dry like swimming suits.

So, after sniffling in the car on the ride home, I gamely put on my running outfit of shorty shorts and pink singlet.  I put on the expensive polyester running socks which wick the sweat away from my feet (not sure if this is exactly real since my feet are still really sweaty and gross, but they do not ball up in the toes of my shoes, which is what my cotton socks do after I have run more than three miles).  Jodi tried to convince me of the importance of running socks early on, but I secretly poo-pooed her advice because I had just bought a whole bunch of cotton socks that seemed okay to me- sorry Jodi- you were completely right- cotton sucks when it comes to running.  I also put on a black sports bra since that was all I had that was clean, and which looked really tacky under my pink singlet (oh well).  Then, I put some ice cubes in a baggie and stuffed that down the front of my sports bra.  I think this keeps me cooler since the ice is sitting against the area over my aorta.  My blood passing through this area should be cooled, right???  I don't know if there is any real science to back this theory up, but it's great because by the time I hit mile three, the ice has completely melted and I can either pour it on my head to try to keep myself a little cooler, or I can drink the contents of the baggie since, as I mentioned previously, one 10 oz. bottle of water is incredibly tiny compared to the amount of sweat I excrete.  I know it sounds gross to think about drinking melted ice cube-boob water, but sometimes it's either that or seriously mug Corey for the other 10 oz. bottle.  Man, I HAVE to get my own water fanny pack!!!

To understand my amazement at having a good running experience tonight, you have to take into account all the factors that should have added up against this: it was HOT, I was feeling crappy about the job thing, my calf was hurting, I was thirsty (10 oz. plus boob water was still not enough), Corey was his silent self (not entertaining at all to run with- sorry, hon), our five mile course is pretty hilly (like several big hills and some small ones as well), and mostly, we had to run five miles- I just wasn't in the mood.  Anyway, about mile four, I started to feel really good, as though I had eaten a large piece of chocolate and let it melt slowly in my mouth so I could savor it.  But there was no chocolate, so what was this???  It turns out that there is a state of being called "runner's high."  Apparently, you body can only take so much pain and then it gives you a shot of endorphins so that whatever you're doing to it that is so unpleasant will seem less so.  I felt light and bouncy instead of heavy and flat-footed.   I felt strong and fast, as though I could keep running more than my allotted five miles.  Wow!!!  I felt FANTASTIC! 

Unfortunately, it only took me four miles of a five mile run to experience the high, so for 80% of the run I felt like crap, but the last 20% I felt invincible.  I understand now how people get hooked on running.  The good feeling continued the rest of the evening after I got home and had dinner.  Not a high, but a sense of well-being even though I did not get the job, so I credit running with being a mood-lifter.  I wonder what that says about you if you are willing to slog through 80% pain to get 20% pleasure or just a general sense of well-being?  Am I becoming a twisted soul?  (Evil laugh here...  Maybe I'll have to break out the chains and whips next- look out, Corey!)