Princess Running.
Now don’t get all excited this post is NOT about any Disney princess race, or about running dressed as a princess, but rather about the prissy things I will not tolerate while running during a training run, which during a race I would just suck up and deal with.
Wet clothes
Seriously, who wants to run in wet shoes or socks! Bleh! I am in the process of transitioning running shoes and happen to currently own 4 pairs. If you think I’m running in wet shoes you are CRAZY. When it rains I finish my distance but if it is a long run that is in parts, you can bet your butt I’m swapping shoes, socks, shirts, and whatever else I can grab in a mad dash through my house before I hit the road again. Wet shins are just one of those things that I can not and will not deal with ever! I understand that during a race I may get wet, but if it calls for rain at a race, I’ll wear a rain jacket and either tie it around my race (Waterloo Half 2010) or bring one I hate and can throw away and never think of again. As for wet feet, you just have to deal and pack extra warm and fuzzy socks for after!
Carrying Fuel
I like my water and gatorade and frankly consume A LOT of them while running but if you think I’m carrying all that with me on my run you are sadly mistaken. Granted this isn’t as big of a deal considering there are water stations at races so it isn’t as if I’m going to run 42km and carry the only water that I’ll get, but my gels, blocks, cookies and candy are another story. I have figured out that I will have to sew and attach another pocket onto my water belt to hold all my goodies, since my front pocket will be full with gels and my ipod.
Bush or Port-a-potty
While I can drop my shorts and take a piddle anywhere I need to, it just isn’t something I am keen on doing during training. I avoid this by always planning routes that take me back home before I will need to use the bathroom or plan to run by places which I know have nice bathrooms, like a public library in a YMCA or a building at the University. I not only work there, but am an alumni too, so I feel I have lifetime bathroom privileges in any building on campus. During races I have peed both in many a port-a-potty and in the bush (granted I was pregnant for the later) and would do it again, but not on a regular run. I can just plan better than that!
Stinky Stuff
Okay, gross warning! So until recently when I bought a bunch more running stuff and got so many technical shirts that I could outfit my whole family, I did not have a lot of running gear and sometimes I would wear it twice before washing it. I’m sorry if that is gross to some people but I only had 2 pairs of capris to start out with, and with 4 runs a week I was not doing laundry in the middle of the week. I will even admit to wearing my favourites on a short easy run after wearing them on a long or tempo run occasionally. I figure my baseball caps are what smell the worst so no one will ever notice. I never do this on my races because it has back fired on me before where a hat and once a shirt smelled so bad I had to actually come home to change out of it, and during a race that is not an option.
So now you all know my dirty little secret! I’m a picky training runner. I know that sounds funny coming from someone who runs in rain or hail or lightning or 20 below without a second thought, but there are some things I just can’t stand on a training run. So there you have it. If you smell someone running by in the rain with a surprisingly dry outfit in KW carrying little fuel but looking like they’ve gone over 20k you’ve probably found me. And if you want to know where I live just follow me, because you know I am probably on my way home to use the bathroom again!
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