Overall, I'm a pretty pathetic runner. I'm not fast, I'm prone to knee pain, and I'm mildly asthmatic, which makes running outdoors in the spring a bit of a challenge. My face also turns scarlet whenever I exercise, so I'm not going to be featured in race promo pictures any time soon. And that whole bit about southern girls "glistening"? Yeah, I sweat. It's a lovely package.
My second (and latest) race was back in February 2008, and I didn't embarrass myself--I'd pushed hard since October and taken myself from two-mile runs to a half-marathon, and I did it largely on my own. This, in retrospect, was poor planning; I got to know my aforementioned bad knees, and between the injury after the race and the impending Alabama spring, I stopped running. Eventually, I could squat again without bracing myself, but by that time, I had burned out. The tennis shoes went back in the closet.
I felt guilty about it--I had once entertained visions of marathoning--but with two jobs, freelance work, studying for the LSAT, applying to law school, and then actually going to law school, I pushed the guilt aside. I had no time (nor inclination, really) for the gym; the treadmill was boring, the track was obnoxiously short (and there's no parking at that gym), and outdoor running was impossible when the roads were covered in black ice. I took long walks back in the fall, but those ended as soon as classes began--and when I was doing seven- and nine-mile hikes through Charlottesville, my knees let me know about it.
And then, about a month ago, my sister came home with her Vibrams, and I got a pair as an early birthday gift. Yes, they're freakish, sock-like, and offer no support whatsoever, but the claims appear to be true thus far--I'm not hurting nearly as much as I did. Confident in my new footwear, I signed up for the Race Judicata 5K, reminding myself that I had done a whole lot worse than 3.1 miles. Over the next week, I wore my shoes everywhere, including on urban day walks and, to my poor mother's horror, classes. I ached in odd places and my feet protested, but I could manage the distance on the treadmill--there was nothing to worry about, right?
Cut to this morning, sunny and 45, perfect for a nice run around North Grounds. Part of the course was simple--up through Darden, out toward 250, around the Park, etc.--but the kicker was the long section of the course that followed the Rivanna Trail. Don't get me wrong, I like the occasional walk in the woods, but I'd not been down this section, and I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for. The organizers mentioned rocks and a run through the creek.
For the record, cross-country running is a very different animal from road running. On the plus side, grass and dirt feel great on impact. On the other hand, with road running, you complain about the asphalt and the grade, but off-road, you get into issues like roots and rocks in the path, sudden climbs, drops, and twists, and that little creek you get to ford. That said, my shoes performed admirably--I'm horrible on downhill treks because I tend to freak out at sudden descents, but for once, I could actually find my footing. My knees are just fine, my feet are only muttering, and the shoes are in the washing machine. (I will note, however, that running on large gravel in shoes with absolutely no padding is an...interesting...experience.)
In any case, I finished, I wasn't last, and I'm still a certified member of the 10-Minute Mile Club. It's humbling, realizing that the Charlottesville Marathon was yesterday and that I was struggling with this course (and that the winner today did it in 17 minutes), but then again, I'm out of practice, I'm not a cross-country runner, and I'm highly allergic to oak pollen. Still a better way to spend a morning than, say, outlining...
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