Have you ever gone to a tough yoga/workout class and needed to go for a loosening up run the next day? I had one of those days this week. On Monday I was pretty sore from my hour and half yoga, so I figured out I had exactly enough time to go for a half an hour (wimpy i know) run before I really had to be in studio to do work on my project. Well, after I got into my groove, I really didn't want to turn around and head home. It was such a beautiful fall day and I had some good music and was in the zone. When I hit my short-run turn around point I thought to myself, I'll just run to the next bridge....famous last words. Before I knew it I was at Piazza Del Popolo, turning around at my 5-mile run point. So much for that super short run to loosen up....and time working on my project in studio! Then to top it all off, I ran negative splits the whole way home to make up for the extra time spent running....so much for the easy run to loosen up! The whole plan went out the window!
Even through I ate away my studio time, what I've discovered in Rome is that I really need to run how I feel. Some days I don't bring garmy or my watch, but just want to go out and run. I ruffly know the distances, so who cares how long it takes right? Maybe I felt inspired by Steve Pre not wearing a watch until he got to oregon. who knows. All I know is that running extra that morning made my studio infinitely more enjoyable. I walked into studio ready to work and start my day, satisfied with my run this morning. That's what running is all about right? Loving the run and how you feel. That's all I ask for from my runs.
Happy running!
Soph
11.14.2009
11.08.2009
Ah the smell of Country Air
This past week, my class ventured into the Tuscan countryside to visit a few hilltowns. We were based out of Siena, taking day trips to a few towns around there. While I was packing for the trip in Rome, I thought to myself "how nice would it be to run through the countryside where the air is clean". Lo an behold, I packed my running shoes and shorts in my backpack hoping I would be able to make it for a run. Before I left I looked up a 5ish mile route, depening on where my hotel was, which of course our proffessors didn't tell us before we left. Since I had never been to Siena, and this run had good reviews, I decided, why the heck not run it if I have time!
I learned quickly in the trip that not everyone is meant to travel by bus for an hour or two to a town, wander aroudn all day, then head back to the base town. At the end of the first day, I was exhausted from traveling to Orvieto, and it was dark and raining pretty hard in Siena, an unfamiliar town. So much for running that day. Maybe tomorrow morning.
That night we were gathered by our professors for the scheudle for the next day. We were to be ready to leave for the bus at 8:20. Its still pretty dark at 7:15 in the morning. And I had 3 roommates to share shower times with. Was I daring enough to run early/dark out in an unfamiliar town? Not so much. I had to postpone again.
That day we spent a long time on the bus and by the time we got back to Siena I was very restless. I took a quick look at my watch, it was only 4 pm. Just enough time for a solid 5ish mile run before dinner and darkness. The only problem was the route. How was I going to ensure that I didn't get lost? Then, genious struck. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner....I have an ipod touch. I could simply e-mail myself the route and leave it open to refer to on my ipod. Ah. an adventure run with a map conveniently located in my music. A perfect recipe to not get lost. In theory that is. Besides, the map made the route look easy enough.
I quickly put on my running shoes, said goodbye to my roomies and hit the road. Since I had wondered around Siena the previous 2 nights, I was pretty familiar with the town, but this route was goign to take me out of town, I wasn't to sure where exactly out of town, but I knew it was out. I should have known it was going to be a hilly run when the first thing I did was run down hill out of Siena. I thought, oh well, I could use some hill training anyways. I was loving the downhill running. Leaning in and flying down the hill. Ah how I almost miss the hills in Seattle, going down that is...
When I hit the bottom it got iffy. It looked like I was on a pretty big road with on/off sidewalk and shoulder to run on. Great. I obviously fell for some route that some random poseted on an even more random website as a run that they happened to do. not a particularily pretty one, just a normal city run. Just as I was getting redy to modify my route, my turn off the main road appeared, and it was a smaller side road. Not bad I thought. maybe this will lead somewhere nice.
I turned the corner and of course, a hill lay ahead of me. begging me to sprint up it, not saving anything for the way back down. That day I was no slowing my pace for anything not even a lowsy hill. Just when I thought I was at the top, the road turned and the rest of the hill appeared. Ah what a nice trick. The endless hill. I kept pushing until I was at the top, then when I looked to the right, I realized I was on the hill next to Siena with an amazing view of the town.
(note the striped building with the crane is the Duomo, apparently striped churches are very common in this nexk of the woods)
I paused momentarily, taking in the view. It was one of those moments where all of a sudden you're at the top looking over what you've run and you can't believe that this is your life. Running to amazing places with views few people get to see except those who liv on that road. I turned to keep running and saw an odd site...two women running the oppose direction. In Seattle this would not be so odd, but here in Italy, I barely ever see anyone else running. I haven't even seen more then 10 peope my whole stay in Rome running, most of which I saw at odd times while I was walking around, not running. i thought to myself, this must be a nice place if people actually go running here.
As my run continued with a few small rolling hills, the view stayed the same. Sunset over Siena. Watching darkness set in on this hilltown. This is the life. Soon it was time to decend into the valley to go back up the hill to Siena. As I headed down the hill I saw 3 more runners! Apparently this is a popular route. It was 3 older men. they started talking/yelling towards men italian but not only do i not really speak italian, I was also wearing headphones. Needless to say all I said to them was Ciao and kept running. As I came upon the stop light to head up hill into town, I saw yet another runner. She looked about my age and was wearing heaphones. We exchanged a wave and both kept running. Wow. I saw in this small run in Siena more runners then I've seen while runnin gover the last month and a bit in Rome. I guess Rome really isn't a running town. to much pollution anyways.
I finished out my last half mile at a sprint up the hill back to my hotle, seeing a few of my meandering classmates and professors who looked at me like I was a little bit crazy. But when I got back to the hotel, I felt truely refreshed. Its amazing what a small run through a small town can do for my mind and body. I didn't feel restless anymore and I got to take in all that fabulous country air!
Go out and breathe some of that nice washington air!
Soph
I learned quickly in the trip that not everyone is meant to travel by bus for an hour or two to a town, wander aroudn all day, then head back to the base town. At the end of the first day, I was exhausted from traveling to Orvieto, and it was dark and raining pretty hard in Siena, an unfamiliar town. So much for running that day. Maybe tomorrow morning.
That night we were gathered by our professors for the scheudle for the next day. We were to be ready to leave for the bus at 8:20. Its still pretty dark at 7:15 in the morning. And I had 3 roommates to share shower times with. Was I daring enough to run early/dark out in an unfamiliar town? Not so much. I had to postpone again.
That day we spent a long time on the bus and by the time we got back to Siena I was very restless. I took a quick look at my watch, it was only 4 pm. Just enough time for a solid 5ish mile run before dinner and darkness. The only problem was the route. How was I going to ensure that I didn't get lost? Then, genious struck. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner....I have an ipod touch. I could simply e-mail myself the route and leave it open to refer to on my ipod. Ah. an adventure run with a map conveniently located in my music. A perfect recipe to not get lost. In theory that is. Besides, the map made the route look easy enough.
I quickly put on my running shoes, said goodbye to my roomies and hit the road. Since I had wondered around Siena the previous 2 nights, I was pretty familiar with the town, but this route was goign to take me out of town, I wasn't to sure where exactly out of town, but I knew it was out. I should have known it was going to be a hilly run when the first thing I did was run down hill out of Siena. I thought, oh well, I could use some hill training anyways. I was loving the downhill running. Leaning in and flying down the hill. Ah how I almost miss the hills in Seattle, going down that is...
When I hit the bottom it got iffy. It looked like I was on a pretty big road with on/off sidewalk and shoulder to run on. Great. I obviously fell for some route that some random poseted on an even more random website as a run that they happened to do. not a particularily pretty one, just a normal city run. Just as I was getting redy to modify my route, my turn off the main road appeared, and it was a smaller side road. Not bad I thought. maybe this will lead somewhere nice.
I turned the corner and of course, a hill lay ahead of me. begging me to sprint up it, not saving anything for the way back down. That day I was no slowing my pace for anything not even a lowsy hill. Just when I thought I was at the top, the road turned and the rest of the hill appeared. Ah what a nice trick. The endless hill. I kept pushing until I was at the top, then when I looked to the right, I realized I was on the hill next to Siena with an amazing view of the town.
(note the striped building with the crane is the Duomo, apparently striped churches are very common in this nexk of the woods)I paused momentarily, taking in the view. It was one of those moments where all of a sudden you're at the top looking over what you've run and you can't believe that this is your life. Running to amazing places with views few people get to see except those who liv on that road. I turned to keep running and saw an odd site...two women running the oppose direction. In Seattle this would not be so odd, but here in Italy, I barely ever see anyone else running. I haven't even seen more then 10 peope my whole stay in Rome running, most of which I saw at odd times while I was walking around, not running. i thought to myself, this must be a nice place if people actually go running here.
As my run continued with a few small rolling hills, the view stayed the same. Sunset over Siena. Watching darkness set in on this hilltown. This is the life. Soon it was time to decend into the valley to go back up the hill to Siena. As I headed down the hill I saw 3 more runners! Apparently this is a popular route. It was 3 older men. they started talking/yelling towards men italian but not only do i not really speak italian, I was also wearing headphones. Needless to say all I said to them was Ciao and kept running. As I came upon the stop light to head up hill into town, I saw yet another runner. She looked about my age and was wearing heaphones. We exchanged a wave and both kept running. Wow. I saw in this small run in Siena more runners then I've seen while runnin gover the last month and a bit in Rome. I guess Rome really isn't a running town. to much pollution anyways.
I finished out my last half mile at a sprint up the hill back to my hotle, seeing a few of my meandering classmates and professors who looked at me like I was a little bit crazy. But when I got back to the hotel, I felt truely refreshed. Its amazing what a small run through a small town can do for my mind and body. I didn't feel restless anymore and I got to take in all that fabulous country air!
Go out and breathe some of that nice washington air!
Soph
11.03.2009
It was nothing short of awesome
As runners, we all know how it feels to get into a routine. Running is a part of our day-to-day lives: we wake up, go to work, go to school, run, eat, sleep, repeat. We run the same routes, have weekly running patterns that are the same, and probably run with the same people. Slowly but surely, each run blurs into the other.
Every once in a while, though, we have a remarkable run. The kind of run that makes you remember that THIS is why we run, THIS is how it's supposed to feel. Sometimes it happens when you hit all your split times, or when you are up in the mountains, or when you have some kind of epiphany on your run. Your body feels electric, alive, full of muscle and energy and movement. I had a run like this today. It happened in a completely normal place, on an absolutely typical day. I was in a city, at a high school, on a football field. I was barefoot.
Barefoot running has popped up recently as a return-to-your-roots running phenomenon. I don't really know that much about it, except for two things: A. That it is championed as being much better for your biomechanics than running with shoes, and B. That the Tarahumara runners of Mexico are the most prominent example of how one can go for miles in minimal support footwear (much like how vegans rally around Scott Jurek as an example of how veganism does not diminish endurance potential). I really just wanted to try it because I absolutely hate wearing shoes and socks (it's so...I don't know, confining somehow), and if there's an excuse for me to take them off, then I'm all for it!
I arrived at the Roosevelt High School turf field expecting to do a speed workout, but was lured by one of my running friends into running on the turf barefoot instead. She had recently read a book by Chris McDougall called "Born to Run," which is essentially the barefoot runner's manifesto, and was absolutely gung-ho about the whole idea. She spoke pretty words to me about a world with no injuries, no pain, and no shoes. She told me stories of runners trotting up trails and mountains for generations without anything except the support of their own two feet. I was entralled. WWHD? (what would hippies do?). RUN BAREFOOT. And so I did.
The first lap around the turf felt strange. I was worried about high school meat heads spitting on the field. I was worried about getting beaned in the head by a stray ball. I felt a little off kilter, like I needed to step gingerly because my feet didn't want to get hurt. I relaxed a little on the second lap. The dangers of rowdy students was still present, but my feet were starting to find their stride. I was hitting the ground with more ease, and I noticed that I wasn't doing a hard heel-toe step anymore, but more of a mid-to-whole-foot sort of step. By lap three, I stopped thinking about my feet, and started to think about the scene around me: the bright lights of the field, the teenagers laughing and rough-housing in the bleachers. The speed workout group flew by. The air was crisp and cool, the sounds of rush hour traffic all around. The world was alive; I was alive. By the end of that lap, I was in love.
The next laps flew by, and I lost count of how many I did. I noticed that my arches started to hurt a little, but the feeling of having air on my feet was so liberating that I couldn't stop running. I ended by doing some fast strides across the field (so quick! so light! I'm a freakin gazelle!!), and then bounced over to the rest of the group in a fit of giggles. I told my friend that I wanted to do this every week, forget speed work outs! I had become a barefoot running convert.
I still don't know very much about the science behind barefoot running, but I can tell you that the spirit of barefoot running is very much what every runner needs. More than other feats of athleticism, there is a magical quality to running, a kind of mysticism. Our solitude on the trail or road and the simple movement of our bodies allows us to connect with our surroundings in a way that athletes in other sports cannot. For me, barefoot running is another way of enjoying my sport and another reason for me to love being outside. Whether or not you believe the physical benefits of barefoot running exist, I wholeheartedly suggest that you try it at least once.
Remember, WWHD?!
--Phylly
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