Wordly Wise

Students at ECG know what 'Wordly Wise' is all about. I'll explain. It is their vocab that they must learn. The make flash cards, with the index cards from my office, and I even give them some crazy hints to help them remember the what the words mean. Big words...words you use to impress your boss, you know, those words.

Today, I became 'Wordly Wise'. My vocab unit was on running terms. I'll tell you about some of the terms I became everso familiar with. Words that I had heard of that I NEVER--EVER thought I would have to be familiar with. Chaffing. Astroglide. Blisters. Hamstrings.

I'll explain further. I wanted to take full advantage of the cooler weather today and get in a good run/walk. I went prepared for the long version of my training. I was well hydrated (whatever, we all know that is a myth!!), lightly clothed (still matchy-matchy of course), ready for the experience. I get about a mile out, I feel a funky rubbing sensation--I rearrange. I mean I have on the dang sports bra, and the ladies will back me up on this, it is not the greatest, most pleasant thing to wear--and it's pretty hot--'moisture wicking' yeah right! So the rubbing is between my upper inside arm and armpit! Nice image!! WHEW HEW!! Am I suppose to lube Astroglide on my pits? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? I mean I have heard people talk about using this when you run, but not me. ME?? (You know you love the blog!!) And honestly, I am thinking, 'I don't know what happens when you 'chafe' {which is such an awful word!} but if it looks ugly in a sundress I am really gonna be pissed!!' So then I am thinking, hello, this is SUCH an easy fix! I can just strip my shirt off, just have the sports bra and me to duke it out. (I have apparently decided the cotton shirt is the culprit at this point.) Then I wonder if the BWCT is a scared part of nature and if by me stripping (and scaring anyone else on the trail) I would be disturbing the sanctity of that nature. So I guess logic does kick in, even with me, and I decide not to strip down to the sports bra and 'jog skirt'!

So, after you have picked yourself up off the floor from that paragraph, you can read about my next 101 ailments. And I do enjoy you laughing at me. It's nice and supportive. Sweet.

Apparently little 'Hammy' as I have decided to affectionately name my right hamstring, likes to rear his (because I am SURE it is male--come on!!) ugly big head around mile 2. I have learned from Jen that when I push it, I suffer and have to baby it a bit (see, just like a male!! HA!!) and then get back to regular training. Well, that would have been fine today, but I was just coming back from the tunnel!! Yeah, so the not pushing it was not so much of an option ya see. I guess I started walking different because then my calves started cramping. Now I am sure one of you will let me know that I am an idiot and need more potassium or more water or to get more pedicures, but whatever, pass along the info! That said, when you are on the trail, you don't stop after coming back over the bridge from the tunnel.

As I come back towards the parking lot, also known to me as salvation at times, I get another rubbing sensation. This on is on my foot. My heel. Again, you are kidding me I think. I adjust my shoe a million times. I keep going. Run, walk, run, walk. One is not much better than the other. The people on the trail must think I cannot figure out what I want to do! At times, I think that the running gets the pressure off my heel. Then I think my legs will give out. (I HATE MY BODY!) Who gets a blister in a tennis shoe? Or, for you Yankees, a 'sneaker'? And they are not even PINK shoes!! There is no sacrifice for style. You should not get a blister if no sacrifice is being made. Seriously.

And the last ailment is one that not many of you have warned me of. Near the end today, about the last 1/2 mile, my fingers were pretty little sausages. Again, nice. My hands were SO swollen! And of course I am familiar with this causality as it happens due to a fantastic day of shopping and goes away with no work whatsoever. The only problem with this today, I didn't get to buy anything new on the trail :-((

To end on a positive note, I would like to thank the City of Lynchburg for building such sturdy bridge on the BWCT. I did not even feel it shake when I ran across it like a bull in Spain. Impressive!

Love you all!!
(See you next week on my deck for a bucket of frozen drinks---aliment drinks!!)