running isn't pretty, part one

While thousands of runners were slammin' through Central Park today, in a marathon 18-miler practice run, I was doing my own toiling on a 9-miler in Prospect Park. This one was not easy. It was hard.

My IT bands have been tightening up over the last week. Admittedly, while I've been concentrating on three shows and packing and all the details of a move, I haven't been doing all the stretching and foam rolling I could be.

So there was that. And while the weather was beautiful, something about it seemed to make it difficult for people to run; I wasn't the only one having a tough time.

I don't have the energy right now to go into all the details. Suffice it to say, that when I run, I am not handsome, particularly by the time I get home, and that I need to pick the color of my shirts more carefully.

So. 9 miles of slow running with unsteady pacing, but... only a moment's walk, when I turned around at the 4 1/2 mile point. I got through it, I guess.

Three things I'd like to note:

One, I seem to have developed "runner's tan". You know how farmer's tan makes a sharp tan line right across the bicep and the arms (and neck) are likely the only on the farmer that is tanned, while the rest is lily white? Well, I'm getting a similar effect: I noticed this morning that my legs have a nice tan -- that ends abruptly at my ankle-sock line. Bizarre.

Two: People were looking at me today. (Maybe because running isn't pretty.) Several people would crane the head around as I passed. And I passed a group of boys in the park and one of them, who saw me coming from a ways away, actually composed himself quite formally, with hands placed together Indian-style, and bowed at the waist to me! WTF?? I grant I was in sorry shape, but I didn't have my junk hanging out or anything...I don't think...

And three: POM. Specifically POM pomegranite-cherry. Best. Recovery drink. Evar. Chock full of pomegranite juice and cherry juice. Per bottle: No fat. No cholesteral. 70 mg of sodium; 780 mg of potassium. Some calcium and iron. Good stuff. Pricey, tho, so I'll have to save it for after my long runs.

I'm exhausted. And for the first time in a LONG time, I actually hurt after today's run. Not bad, but enough. Beast, you're not alone.