insanity.of.runners

r.u.n.n.i.n.g:
yesterday was the boston marathon! the city was full of energy. runners and spectators were everywhere--on the streets, on the t, on the news--the boston marathon draws a huge crowd. i watched the runners come by around the 25-mile marker. there was a lot of fatigue and cramping and injuries and blood, but far exceeding any of that, there was so much excitement and passion and drive and emotion. it was incredible to be a part of.

oh--and here's a great idea if you're running a race. put your name on your shirt. it's genius. people (like me) love cheering for you by name. i can imagine that when you're tired and trying hard to push on, hearing someone cheer for you by name has got to be uplifting. there were tons of people that labeled themselves yesterday, and it was actually really fun to cheer for them. i'm so doing it for my next long race...i'm just over one month away from the half.marathon, and i've got a pretty solid mileage base built up thus far... i did a 9.5 mile run last weekend (38 laps around a track can get pretty boring), and i'm slated to do a 10 mile run this weekend while i'm in seattle. i'm doing 2-3 shorter runs each week between my long runs. in order to get my speed up, i'm starting to incorporate interval training into one of my mid-week runs. this means that i do a number of shorter, faster runs (1-2 miles), with 10-minute sections between runs where do short, fast cycling and lightweight lifting. i've already noticed a difference in my pace on longer runs. interval training definitely seems to do the trick.

here's my latest mileage chart:
and finally, a poem (of sorts). my dad taught me this when i was little, and i still remember it word for word.

poem.for.the.day:
ed cunningham - why do i run?

why do i run? 'tain't no mystery,
want to have a good medical history.
doctor told me running is great;
helps them blood cells circulate.
great for the lungs, great for the ticker;
can't nothing get you in better shape quicker.
feels so healthy, feels so sweet--
pumping my arms and flapping my feet.
molding my muscles, firming my form,
panting like a pack-mule, sweating up a storm.
keeps me youthful, keeps me loose,
tightens my tummy and shrinks my caboose.
beats being sluggish, beats being lazy.
why do i run? maybe i'm crazy.