Almost 3 hours
| September 26, 2012 | Posted by Carrie under Running |
I am very thankful for my running friend. Up until the beginning of this year, I ran alone. I loved to run alone. It was solitude time, time to think, zone out, just be alone.
Now I’ve gotten used to my running friend. Almost 3 hours of running together many weekends and I truly look forward to the time.
Looking back on this past weekend, I was thinking about how our conversation shifts over the course of the run.
We started out in the dark, she picked me up. As I got in to the car, I commented that I think we are a bit crazy and that I didn’t want to get up and that my coffee was lame because it was lukewarm so I could drink it fast. We were both a little whiny.
Our conversation always begins with bathroom discussion. How has the morning gone (literally) and how far we think we’ll be able to go before needing to hit up a bathroom. Seriously, I don’t discuss my bathroom habits with really anyone, yet this is about the first thing we talk about – every – time!
We got to our route and got going. The conversation then turned to our kids. It usually does as we get going. All the stuff that’s going on with them, the good and the bad. We’re moms, this could go on for hours.
Then we shifted gears and started trying to catch the attention of the runners that we were passing. It was before 7AM on a Sunday at the beach and there weren’t a whole lot of people out. No one wanted to catch our eyes and say hi. Then, we started giggling about how they were just bitter that they were alone and didn’t want to talk to us because we had a friend.
The first guy we got to say hi was dressed in a suit. Yep. Sunday morning, at the beach 7AM in a suit. But, he was friendly.
What else did we talk about – - why we run, our plans for Long Beach, when we should go to the expo, can we go together… all the running stuff.
Right about at mile 10 things get a little interesting. We started talking about our feet hurting, our sweat, the bad stuff.
Then we hit another burst of energy and get back to the conversation. Usually at this point our conversations become much more frivolous and we’re usually pretty exhausted and the words aren’t always so free flowing.
We finished our run, and after dipping our feet in the cool water, we were walking barefoot up a hill over gravelly surface to the car. Our legs were tired, we smelled bad and the hill looked very menacing. K was contemplating if she had time to shower before going to her son’s baseball game and we started talking about how talented we are at throwing out in conversation how far we ran that morning. I know you had to be there, but imagine how delirious we must have been to be laughing hysterically at our horrible conversation skills. “Wow, great hit, by the way, I ran 12 miles this morning.”
Ok, so we thought we were funny. Anything is funny after running for almost 3 hours.
Driving home, we pulled up to my house and she actually stopped at the house next to mine. When I pointed out that my house was one more down the street, we continued laughing at how brain dead we were.
Not only is running for that long hard on your body, but it does funny things to your thoughts. And it makes me think that this post might not be funny to anyone. Except if you’ve been in that delirious exhausted conversation moment.
Source: rwdaily.runnersworld.com via Carrie on Pinterest
Can you carry on a normal conversation at the end of a long run? Ever find it strange to discuss your bathroom habits with your running friends? or really much of anything, it’s like therapy when you’re out running with a friend. What happens on the long run stays on the long run…. or something like that.
I know it’s Wednesday, but I’m not posting food today – It’s Yom Kippur and that just doesn’t seem to work. G’mar Hativah Tovah.
Haha! I can totally relate. I have lots of trouble processing things after that much running. How fun you do it with a friend. I run shorter distances with friends but so far not the long hauls. Well done!
Funny – I do my short distances alone and my long runs with my friend.
I love this post and can totally relate. Yes, bathroom habits are the topic of conversation when I run with my running buddy and I am not ashamed to admit it:) Lots of interesting things come out on a long run or hike with a buddy and I love every minute of it!
hikermom recently posted..Luck Has Nothing to do With It
I do too. It almost makes me look forward to the gruelingness of the outing.
That’s great that you’ve been able to find a running partner that you enjoy running with. I know that helps the time pass by and makes the run itself enjoyable!
Suzanne recently posted..Women’s Half & Girl’s Weekend in Nashville
Thanks!
I swear, when my husband used to ride his bike alongside me in my long runs, they were the hardest ones to finish! I think because we kept talking!
Paige recently posted..Staying on Track with Healthy Eating–What I Ate Wednesday
I’m not sure I could do the long run with my husband (he doesn’t run anyway), I think we’d totally annoy each other when we had to push hard. It would be nice to run with him on shorter runs… we bike together occasionally, but it’s hard to be in a place where we can be side by side.
Running friends are the best! They “get us” in a way that few people can.
I love the conversations shared on a run. Enjoy breaking your fast!
Laura @ Mommy Run Fast recently posted..Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal + Wiaw
Thank you Laura… running conversations are a whole different animal.
I was the exact same! Until this summer, I never ran with anyone and didn’t think I wanted to. Once I started running with my buddy, though, I found I could go so much farther and faster! Now I can’t imagine doing my long run w/out her. We too talk about EVERYTHING and I mean everything. I can’t imagine that you could run that distance w/ someone else and not have bathroom habits come up. LOL
Jan recently posted..Funnies
I definitely run slower when I run with my friend, but it’s good for me and I like that I can take the speed thing out of the equation. It keeps me just being out there and enjoying myself.
I just found a running friend and one of the first things we talked about: bathrooms and FOOD. So much food! It’s funny what you end up gravitating toward! I am glad you found someone to while away the hours with!
Travel Spot recently posted..Do and Do Not (4): Running
Food – that’s the other thing we talk about. My running friend is a great cook.