Fun Run

Well what to say? I'm still in some sort of an oxygen deprived daze. Best just get to brass tacks and report on it.
First, like any great exploration into the unknown there were technical difficulties! I think the Garmin wants you to hold real still while it's acquiring satellites so if finally did that right about when we, we?, what am I saying, me and two guys (the kind tireTosser and his kind buddy 'needs a name') who decided to hang with me while I was futzing about with all this technology.

I was a bit bitter that I couldn't give team FunRun accurate stats for the walk down there, but the walk back is 1.15mi :-)

Then the Flip camera - a completely solid state device FROZE - go figure. I have plans of making a video and I think I'll drag this wonder around (now that I know how to unfreeze the bad boy) and tape various activities of all the stuff that goes on around here. Heck, with my wife's permission (since its her's) maybe the trainers can use it for a day (?)

I have music already picked out but I'm open to suggestions. coolChick was wondering what it was - here's a YouTube URL to Feel Good Inc. so you can see where my head's at.

OK, how'd I do? So-so I'd say but here's the skinny of what it felt like.

First things first. SpiderMan lapped me once on the stairs (it would have been twice except I wouldn't let him pass :-) nah he hung back till I got to the top) and twice on the hills. That was fun!

OK, you start at the top of the stairs and go down them. No biggie. Then you go up them. The first time I'm OK, the second time, not so much in a diminishing returns sort of way. The third time pain is setting in on the thighs and taking a nice firm hold, pain likes it here figuring it will hang for awhile. The fourth time... the tank is empty, I'm getting up the stairs on will power alone and creating a hazard for Spidey. If you look at my heart chart between minutes 20-25 you'll see four little spikes. Those have me at 78-85% of MaxHR - in short my ticker was working.

Then minutes 25-38 are the hills. That hill is tough! It starts at a reasonable grade but when you hit the top, OH MY GAWD! this thing is soooo ADA non compliant! Every time I ran it I was certain I could make it to the top at a run or the lumbering I call a run, every time I broke. Then this walk back to the stairs and another lap.

Folk are doing walking lunges or side lunges but not cartwheels, noooo Bill's latest idea was gunned downed. Me? I was doing either 'the stagger' or 'the thousand yard stare.' There is a weird sort of dread that forms after the second lap, you absolutely know what's coming as you head, sheep tp the slaughter, back for another lap.

And people are talking, at times I think even to me but honestly I can't remember, my mindset was one of getting through it, this is something to be endured.

Sounds awful doesn't it?

It is not. I don't have the writing skill to convey the experience of it. There is something really positive that one feels (well me anyway) of getting through it, enduring something challenging.

When the hill is done, on each landing of the steps going back up, a different calisthenic is chosen and you do some insane number of them (25?). I remember something as basic as jumping jacks I was so off rhythm, that I started laughing at myself, arms up legs in place, vise-a-versa. Mostly I watched these - I'm out of gas.

Finally the walk back where JRock challenged fate by walking up a hill backward daring a car to hit her! We went through the woods on the way back passing only one psychopath before getting to the best part!

The ABS workout! I am so glad I didn't pass on this. Don't get me wrong I still suck at ABS but the clowning around was so worth it. princessLongLegs set the tone by setting off the alarm to the defibrillator and then ratting herself out to the receptionist, after that it was giggle city.

Wanna find out what was said? Come along! Seriously! If this candy-ass can do it so can you, I'll make you look good on the hills I'm certain of that.

There's a lot more I could say about this but I'm out of time. I get to take my daughter to a 70s dance for her Girl Scout thingy! How cool is that?!

Will I do it again?

mmhmm, yes, sure, why not? But currently I feel every muscle in my body tightening and my knee is complaining and twitchyer so um not tomorrow :-)

Next week? Heck that's in seven days - weather, knee permitting etc, yep.

Thanks for inviting me!