On Evening Runs

So I have decided that I am no longer running in the evening. It's too dangerous...and too stressful... But let me begin at the beginning.

So, this morning, I was going to wake up and me and R (my brother who is made of awesome) were going to get up and get our runs in early. We had kind of put off our long runs, for different reasons for each of us. Me, because I just didn't feel right. Him because his legs were sore from the 12.5 miles he had run on a whim a few days before. We had plans to leave around 10 am. That's kind of late considering the time of year, but I really, really have a hard time getting up early. I really, really like sleeping in. Which the better part of me objects to...

So, I ended up getting up around 9:20 am, deciding that I would not run this morning; I just didn't feel right, and when I don't feel right, as in I don't feel like there's a run in me - it's not a feel bad thing, it's just a feel - I don't run. But I would take R running, because he wanted to run before he went to do a job. I said I would let him use my Garmin because then I could use it later anyways.

It turns out, however, that the whole house is in a bit of an uproar because Dad's wallet is missing. As in it can't be found anywhere and no one knows where it could be and he was at the store yesterday, but he's sure he put it in his pocket before he leaves, and around and around it goes. The whole house is stressed out. Everyone's looking everywhere half a dozen times. Finally, R says:

"I...think I'm going to run later... it's stressful around here...and we should really find the wallet." At this time, it's about 11:20, I think. I'm like "Okay..."

So, we keep looking around. We watch a few back episodes of this seasons' Eureka (loooove that show!) and eventually, I find the wallet in the trash can beside Dad's desk. Ahah! As a reward? I get a 2 liter diet Pepsi. Awesome. Of course, I'm sharing it! And not drinking it all at once; I do have some will power!

Now, down to the actual run, at about 6:15 pm.  We get there probably around 6:25.

Where we park for the run is next to a firehall. They were having training tonight, which, by the looks of it, involved washing fire engines. I didn't want to do my usual warm up (Lunge Matrix) in front of a bunch of people and look silly. This may have been part of my downfall.

So, as I go up the first straight stretch I'm feeling good. It's kind of flat. I'm going at a pretty good clip. I don't know exactly how fast I'm going because I let my brother use the Garmin anyway. I know he really, really wanted to and I don't mind. I kind of feel bad that he doesn't have one. He's a better runner than me, at least, well, faster at any rate. I feel like he might get a touch more use out of it... anyway... it's mine, I'm not giving it up!

I know I'm going at a slightly brisk pace, and I decide to take it easy up The Hill. My time turns from average to slightly sub-average, which I don't mind. By sub average, I mean for my 5k route. I have to do that loop twice today, so I'm thinking that I want the first mile to be around 15:00 (because of the big hill) and the others slightly faster, not counting the second time I have to go up the hill. I make it in 14:30 and some change, as they say.

That's great. But I'm worried. My calves are hurting, especially my left one (the one that's been giving me trouble; I have no idea what's wrong). By the time I'm most of the way through the 1st loop, I can tell that my calf muscle (whichever one it is; I'm looking that up on wikipedia in a bit) is causing my foot to go towards the outside edge as I roll across a step, if you know what I mean. I mean, I land on the outside edges of my foot anyway - it's evident by the wear of my shoes - but this was extreme, and I was very conscious of my foot placement on the ground and of every step of my left foot. It didn't necessarily hurt, but it was weird. I had to walk a lot because I was afraid of injuring myself.

I'm nearly done with the first loop when I see R. walking towards me. I know that this means he's probably given up on his long run. I had seen him earlier and he was going pretty fast, too fast for a long run, and seemed to be feeling good. I knew what had happened, though. His legs still weren't feeling good from the 12.5. He said he was just going to walk down to where he had to work. I said that I would walk down after my run and check on him and stuff.

So, I refuse to give up on my run (I hate cutting runs short, no matter how I feel! It has to be pretty bad for me to say "Okay! Cutting the mileage!") and am still a bit surprised as I work my way up The Hill again. Surprised because I'm like "Wow. My calves hurt. I'm making bad time, and yet I'm still doing this!".

On the descent of The Hill, my calves started to loosen up. I found my pace. I felt much, much better. Not, maybe, 100%, but still pretty good. Relaxed, even. My heart rate was pretty steady.

I finished it up in 1:33:51, worse than my previous time, but my previous time I had been taking it easy and feeling good pretty much the whole time, so there's that.

I decide to walk down to where my brother is, involving me walking down another fairly impressive hill. I talk to R who says he's going to finish early because it's going to get dark soon (it's about 8:00 pm at this point). I say that I'll wait for him by the car.

I wait for a while, listening to bits of podcasts, and then I notice that it's 8:45. Late. It'll be dark soon. I decide that it's too late and I'm picking up R. So, I go down, and he's walking up the hill just as I start down it in the car! What a coincidence! But a nice one.

As it turns out, we get home around 9:00 pm. We were search partied, as I will now term it. Meaning someone was sent out to look for us.

Now, let me backtrack a bit. R's job involved some landscaping work at a house that my mom cleans. She told me where to find a key and to look at the house to see how dirty it was to see how hard she would have to work when the time came.

When I got down to the house to check on R, I completely forgot. Not that she had told me to check the house; I fully intended to do that. I forgot that she told me where to find a key and I'm like "Hmm... no key...". As I think back on it, it's entirely possible, no, factual that I forgot on the way out the door. That I forgot that I didn't have to get a key from mom; I just had to go down and fish the on that was there out of wherever. I didn't even look in the windows.

So, long story short (yeah, I know, not really) we were gone for about 3 hours, we worried people, and I didn't even complete my very simple mission. Fail.

And that is why I won't run in the evening again.

Oh, yes one more reason. Mountain lions. They've been known to roam these parts, especially around evening time, so yeah. That worried me when I was thinking about R having to walk the ~.5 mile back to the car in the near-twilight.

So, run summery:

Warm Up: None. Bad idea; don't do this!
Distance: 6.36 miles
Time: 1 hour 33 minutes 51 seconds (slooooow, but okay; I had calf issues...again...)
Average Pace: 14:45 (Again... sloooow)
Feeling: Sore. But generally okay. Mood was good. Breathing/heart rate were pretty good. Just the dang legs... especially the left one.

So, that's that. I know I've complained about my calves practically every post...but really, it's a running blog, right? I can complain about aches and pains in my legs right? Right? Guys...?