« Dad's New Toy, Our New Lease, My New Book | Main | Tost »

June 22, 2005

I Ran the Corporate Challenge and It Didn't Kill Me

Today, despite my inability to adapt to long-distance running of any sort, I managed to 1) find the courage to wear the headband outfit, 2) go to the starting line, and 3) run the entire race WITHOUT STOPPING.

The running at the gym -- infrequent though it may be -- must have helped. I still don't have any desire to put on running clothes and head to Central Park voluntarily, but given a clear strategy and some cheerleading, I can run a race-for-non-running-people (like the Corporate Challenge) any day.

D had done one of these before and told me to keep it nice and slow or I would burn out around mile 2. I kept it slow. Walking people passed me at one point. But I didn't stop. Derek cheered me on at mile 3 (Lloyd, Clay where were you?) and then ran faster than me (argh) in business clothes just to be at the finish line to cheer me on again. A bit embarrassing -- kind of like your mom showing up at track practice saying, "Honey, wait!! You forgot your blue gatorade! You're doing great!" -- but he told me at mile 3 that it was downhill to the finish so I could speed up a bit. Which was nice, because as much as I can't stand the endless running I do like to sprint. Take that, fast finance and publishing people.

Which reminds me, the range of corporate team T-shirts was interesting. One said: "T-shirt: $5, New running shoes: $89; Monthly gym membership: $105; Getting out of work before 7PM: Priceless." The MTA one said something about "running for over 100 years," and one team had shirts AND matching running shorts. Can't remember the other shirts, though they were all clever in a that tame, corporate marketing kind of way, so you're not missing much. The running (and subsequent beer to, um, replenish carbs?) has done something to my brain.

Posted by csageday at June 22, 2005 11:25 PM

Comments

Posted by: Rose at June 23, 2005 01:11 AM