nashville marathon

when i started this blog, i had big plans to talk about things other than music and books. one of the things i imaged blogging on was running, but clearly that's not materialized - probably because, unless gifted with a humorous take on life, running is actually pretty dull.

that said, i've been running. this saturday i went to nashville and ran the country music marathon, my second marathon. it was pretty awesome, despite being awful. anyone who does long-distance running can probably relate, and i think the extreme of both experiences is what keeps us coming back. i'm hoping to run another full race either this late fall or early next spring.

nashville was great - its one of my favorite cities, and i love visiting. it was a joy to run through most landmarks, remembering my many previous trips to the city, and to think of those fun times with old friends.

my mixed review of race weekend:

PROS
-al gore sat behind me on the plane. seriously a life highlight. unfortunately i'm too timid to have talked to him, but i did eagerly listen to him talk to the woman sitting next to him. and he let me deplane first. awesome!
-nashville.
-cutting 15 minutes off my previous finishing time.
-surviving this race of doom, and knowing that i will likely never run in as difficult conditions again.
-awesome shirts!
-seeing finishers all over town and watching line-dancing at crazyhorse (dancing being clearly out of the question).

CONS
-it was close to 90 degrees when i finished, meaning just over 5 hours in the blistering heat.
-headwinds? i thought this was just a problem in biking - i was wrong. the wind was nice at first to keep us cool, but it was pretty ridiculous at times.
-did i mention the 90 degree thing? i'll confess to treadmilling it when the thermostat passes 70, so i definitely was out of my element.
-hills, hills, hills.
-super-sunburned face because i forgot a hat - oops!
-allergic reaction to my sunscreen & lingering hives that are driving me crazy.
-nine hours in the airport.
-having to watch the swine flu briefing in a crowded airport (more on that later).

life is sadly back to the old grind, except for the soreness and itchiness. i took a short run today, and after the initial pain and awkwardness, my legs feel a lot better.

everyone should run a marathon. seriously. talk to me about it, they're the best.

allergic legs: