I must admit that as a runner, I’ve been having a hard time writing about running when the weather has been warm, and all I really want to do is sit at home in the comfort of air conditioning watching the Tour de France or World Cup Soccer. But, alas… I spend most weeks running, racing, doing track work, or cycling. It leaves little time to write about it all. Longer days mean hours of extra play time on the road, it’s no wonder. Now that the days will get shorter once again, it’s time to reflect on running these past few months.
Illinois Marathon
The IM was a big success. As you may recall, I was the douche bag running as Abe Lincoln, top hat, flag and all. Here’s a little piece of advice for anyone crazy enough to run in costume during a half marathon ― if you choose to do it, make sure you do it when the humidity is lower than 85% and the temperatures aren’t in the high 70s. It was disastrous. I finished in 1:49:06, but it wasn’t pretty. There were plenty of people smirking and snickering (Yes… I heard you) as they passed me at mile 8, 9, and 10 at Meadowbrook. It was just too darn hot, especially given that most runners had trained in freezing temperatures all spring. I was thirsty from the minute the gun went off, and that’s not a good sign. Spring arrived with a vengeance May 1st, and lots of very fit people had a hard time that day.
When Harry met Golf, and Sally ran a 10K
Harry and Sally, our Newbs-in-training, have taken spring by storm. Harry, who reluctantly started running when Sally decided to run the Chicago Marathon this October, has decided to throw in the towel, and instead pick up his golf clubs. That’s cardio enough for him. Sally, on the other hand, has run both a 5K in town and a 10K out of state. In that 10K, she beat six other runners and came in 125th place in 1:20:55. When she was beating herself up about beating only six other runners, she said, “I keep reminding myself that I’ve only been running for 2.5 months.” The Mahomet Half Marathon was next up on her schedule, but she is having second thoughts about running it. “I looked at last year’s results, and I would finish last, and my ego just can’t handle it.” Readers, if you would, give Sally a little encouragement to get her out on the roads of Mahomet in a four short weeks!
Run Peru: Lace up those urban running skills
In May, I vacationed in Peru for a couple of weeks. When I arrived in Lima, Peru’s cosmopolitan capital, I was mentally ready to speak Spanish, meet up with a local running club, and maintain my running during my 15-day vacation. Unfortunately, Peru, save for Lima, is not a runner’s paradise. In Lima, you will find Peru Runners, a local running club that runs in the early hours of the morning so they can avoid the muggy humidity, that is a hallmark of Lima, and get their running done before the work day. Also, there are ample parks in the city, especially along the oceanfront, where runners take advantage of little traffic, wide sidewalks, and a philosophy of fitness. Lima is also developing their oceanfront with long beachfront boardwalks that, when finished, ought to give runners other interesting, if not remote, routes in the city to run. They would almost work better as cycling trails than pedestrian walkways. Nevertheless, if ever you’re in Peru, Lima is the place to run.
Other areas of the country, from Arequipa, Puno, and Lake Titicaca, Cusco, and Machu Picchu, running is something you do at your own peril. Traffic is tough, pedestrians are numerous, and the philosophy of the road is that if you’re on it, you must know what you’re doing ― even if you don’t. Unless you know how to run in South America, don’t. It’s safer to find a gym at a hotel than to take to the roads, in my opinion. And, maybe that’s OK. Every culture has its own way of doing things, and sometimes it’s best to just put up the running shoes for a couple of weeks and walk like everyone else does.
The Calendar
The summer is now in full swing. If you’re looking for 5Ks or 10Ks to run, check out the Second Wind Running Club’s online calendar of local races. There are always ways to stay fit this summer!
See you on the roads!