For Christmas, I took a week and a half off work and traveled to Newburgh, IN and Louisville, KY to spend as much time with family as I could. With the exception of the actual traveling, it was a fantastic vacation. I was a little concerned on my way down that I wouldn't be able to run anywhere. The only sidewalks I knew of were in neighborhoods (mostly small - I could squeeze a mile out of my parents' subdivision) and at the elementary and high schools (4 laps = 1 mile). This meant I would have to count while I ran. No way. Get real. So, I went to a gym with my dad to run on a treadmill. Please note, I only brought running clothes for outdoor running. No sleeveless shirts in my suitcase. Running inside is HOT and running on a treadmill is harder than I thought. I quickly realized I am not a "metronome" runner. When I run on the street, I must change my pace and shorten/lengthen my stride constantly. I kept scooting up against the front of the treadmill and hitting my hands against the display, and ended up adjusting the speeds high, low, high, low for most of the run. And the distractions in a gym are unbelievable! I had my ipod, six TVs to choose from, and all kinds of people moving around downstairs in the weightlifting section to watch. I was switching from college basketball, to the news, to George Lopez, to music, to laughing at people, and back to music. I couldn't help myself! It was pretty entertaining, though. This is something I may need to get used to - at least a little bit. Any more blizzards come through Boston and I will definitely need to have a training back up plan.
I decided to try my long run outside and, surprisingly, Newburgh has a nice, new Riverfront Trail. It's still a work in progress, but it made for a very nice run. I went back and forth to get my 9 miles in and thoroughly enjoyed the sites of the Ohio River. My parents came with me and ran/walked the trail to start their training for the Bourbon Chase in October 2011! We decided Dad needs new shoes.
The rest of the week I took it easy. I was really enjoying my full days of laziness and spending time with the family. Oh, and eating. We ate a lot. I was back in my old stomping grounds and thought it was necessary to grab a bite to eat at all the faves. We hit up B-Dubs, White Castle (not necessarily a fave, but a must-have), Moe's, Acapulco's, and much more. Add those on to the delicious (and much more wholesome) dinners at home and I think I could cut out eating for a good part of 2011. Great marathon training foods.
On the plane ride back to Beantown, I couldn't get comfortable because I hurt so much. I can't laugh or even sneeze without doubling over in pain. You would think marathon training, right? Not even close. Call it Xbox Kinect. Call it Track & Field games. Sprints, Javelin Throw, Long Jump, Discus, Hurdles. Call it Boxing. Head, body, head, body, KO. Oh the pain. I'm positive my body can hold up for a 26.2 mile run but put me in front a TV with a controller-less video game and I am a goner.
Happy New Year!
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