sTw's Blog

About 6 weeks ago I went to play pick up soccer with a friend who's in high school. It was such a blast but there was a problem. I was NASTY out of shape, and these high school kids were wooping me. One of them asked me in between games, "So are you in college?" And I told him that I graduated from UL a year ago. And he responded, "So you used to play soccer?" And he had no tone to his question or anything negative. But a realization hit like a brick. OH CRAP! I've turned into one of those athletes (soccer, basketball, whatever) that USED TO be an athlete! And that day I said, OH HEK NO! I'm not gonna be one of those guys, b/c I remember those guys! Those are the guys who talk like they know the sport, but couldn't actually compete in it anymore if their lives depended on it! And I watched those guys when I was competing in high school try to feel like they still had it by talking it, while we were on the feild actually DOING it.

And I said to myself, NOPE! That isn't gonna be me. So!, pick up soccer happens once a week at best and I needed a venue to work my rear off and sweat a bunch. I'd been lifting weights with Jason at Reds but I needed some cardio that would work my rear off. And so I started running again. I used to run in college, never competitively, but just in a few races in Lafayette, 5 and 10ks. I trained in my neighborhood and I think at best I was running about 7 miles 3 or 4 times a week.

So I started running again about 5 weeks ago. IT'S BEEN AWESOME!!! After I finish a run, I feel like I've just conquered the world! It's such a great feeling. I've gotten my pace down to about 8mins 11secs per mile. And I'm running about 26 miles a week.

Well here's the point of this post. I found an online training log at nikerunning.com that keeps track of my times and distances and even keeps track of how many miles I put on my different shoes.

For instance. I got a new pair of Nike Free shoes 2 weeks ago and I know that I've got 53 miles on them already. Pretty sweet huh? Well nikerunning also has a like a myspace for runners and I joined it a couple of days ago.

These guys are NUTS! It's mostyl high school kids from all around the country who ru ncompetitivley, but I've been reading their posts and comments and these kids are freeking amazing! And some of them are hilarious. Here's what one girl put on her "about me" section of here site.


you know you're a runner when...
---You've been banned from every all-you-can-eat pasta restaurant in town.
---You refuse to buy certain running shorts because a 2 inch inseam seems too long.
---When you catch yourself double-knotting your laces at all times, even when you aren't going out running.
---You get the most excited over new running clothes on Christmas or your birthday
---When you're sick, you go running because you think running cures everything.
---Your walking along the road and see another runner, you feel like your part of a secret society like fight club.
---The rolling pin is no longer in a kitchen drawer but rather with your running stuff to help roll out sore muscles
---you have to make a serious effort to talk about something other than running with friends and family who dont run
---You can say Fartlek with a straight face
---you say things like "I only ran 10 miles today", or "I only ran once today"
---when you've flipped off a little kid because he said "run Forrest run"
---You cry EVERYTIME you watch Without Limits.
---all your friends feel like they need to do more running before they can go for a run with you.
---Your parents, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend hate you when you're injured
---You get overly excited about running in a new place
---dont think twice before using a port-a-pottie even when you are not at a race
---when your the only student allowed to drink water during classes
---when 2 miles is your warm up and cool down
---You know your a runner if in the first day of German class the only answer you know Munich
---you flex your calves when people ask to see your muscles
---you don't let people take sips of your water, or if your friend left a bottle on a table half empty you drink it
---you think people are crazy when they don't know who Steve Prefontaine is
---your running log is your diary
---your not afraid to change clothes in public
---you can make runner jokes with other runners, and only you two think its funny
---after you work out, run, lift, ect, you consider yourself done for the day
---you know your a runner when you take off a week or two in between seasons you think you are in horrible shape
---you consider being a teacher when your older just so you can coach
---when your room and your car smell like icy hot, and all your friends hate it, but your so used to it you dont even smell it
---when you can read Runners World for hours, and then when it comes time to read a story for English you claim you hate reading.
---when the government issued a state of emergency because the weathers so bad and your out doing a tempo
---your seasons aren't summer, fall,winter, spring they are preseason, crosscountry, indoor, outdoor
---when you go sledding on the same hill you do repeats on

Crazy huh? They live in a TOTALLY different world. We'll see how far over I convert:)

So if anyone in the Lafayette area wants to go run, give me a holler and we'll go. I've gotten a few freinds already so let me know if you want to. Don't worry if you're a new runner and all that junk b/c you'll always have people that are faster and slower than you.

Running is like an all-cure. I can be having a bad day, but if I ran that day, the day was a success. It's weird.


So, the next time I go to play pick up soccer, WATCH OUT! :)

Posted by Sean Walker on Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 11:43 AM | Permalink