KSU's unofficial mascot, the black squirrel. There is a festival centering around these guys, I shit you not
Most of my running was done in the MetroParks of Cleveland though, complete with two big hills, one of which I nearly ran all the way to the top. It's pretty effing steep. The weather was good for my long run. However, I did meet some trail asshats out there, unfortunately. A family cut me off towards the end of my run. The father would walk, and then as soon as I passed him, sprint, look back at me, and then walk. Meanwhile, the wife and toddler were running ahead. The aforementioned toddler was on a bike with training wheels. As I was passing them, the following conversation was overheard by me...
Asshat Mom: Don't let that girl beat you!
Asshat Toddler: Catch her! Catch her!
Asshat Mom: Yeah let's get her!
EXCUSE ME???? Am I in the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre?!?!?!?! Suffice it to say, that day's run was a negative split.
And as I mentioned a few days ago, I was too tired on Monday to run, as well as Tuesday morning. I-80 does generally bore you to death. I had more fun driving the 9.5 hours it took to get from Chicago to Knoxsville, Tennessee! But due to a cupcake meltdown at work (oh jeez...they were enormous...I didn't know they made cupcake molds that big. Really, I ate two cakes. And was nauseous for the rest of the day), I had to get a run in before my class on Tuesday night. So I got my run in, complete with annoying wind.
Unfortunately, I woke up on Wednesday not very well rested and unable to run. As I had not Wednesday evening plans, I decided to run. I checked my schedule and, holy crap, 60 minutes of hills???? Impossible. It said 8 hill repeats or run 60 minutes in a hilly course. As I live in Chicago, the latter was not possible. So I ran to Cricket Hill, busted my ass running up and down it eight times (with wind!) and then ran home for a total of 39 minutes of running. Good enough. My shins were killing me, which means it might be time for some new shoes. Sure enough, this morning's run was equally difficult. I was moving along at a good clip (9:40 average) but it felt like so much work. I had to tell my legs that we were not going to stop and walk. What should have felt like a moderately paced run felt like an all-out sprintathon.
I don't get to run this evening, because my old roomie is in town for her bachelorette party (it's a freakin' week long affair, and I'll be taking part tonight and tomorrow night). But I will get another run in tomorrow, and then a long run in either Saturday or Sunday.
5 comments:
omg that family... I HATE when stuff like that happens. some people just have no clue and no manners. looks like it was a good trip though!
That's NUTS! You should have tripped them :-)
I hope your shins are ok!
People are f-ed up.
Talk about weird coincidences (i.e. you and Viper). A couple of years ago I was on an excavation with a girl and it turned out we'd both done our undergrad degrees at the same uni and in the same department at the exact same time. I never met her while there which is super strange since our program was rather small. Freaky.
Blow a snot rocket on the toddler next time. That'll end things.
I wouldn't claim to going to the same educational institution as Viper, btw.
At one point (in the 1960s, I think), Black Squirrels were on the endangered species list. Michigan State University had some in one of their labs, and were researching their habits and mating rituals in order to encourage the population of the species. Some students (in my mind they're hippies) broke into the building and released all the animals (animal cruelty related motives, I assume... but it's MSU, so it might've just been a prank). The black squirrels ended up thriving there, took over Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio, and quickly went off the endangered species list.
Crazy, huh?
Post a Comment