Monday, July 26, 2010

Running out of necessity

Lately, I've done some running and it's been painful. In (late) preparation for HCM, I've ran twice longer distances in the last couple of weeks. I realised that I don't even want to spend my limited free time running in the summer, I'd rather ride the bike. But I've signed on to the marathon, boasted about it at work and to friends, and now I've got to weasel out of it somehow. I mean, practice a bit, so I can do it.

Last week, I ran for 26 km in Kainuu. It wasn't pleasant, because it was pretty hot, the roads there are too narrow, yet rather congested, and there are huge, bloodsucking insects, that keep circling and following you, because apparently you're their only source of delicious sustenance for kilometres around. Also, a runner on the highway in the middle of nowhere seems to be such an anomaly there, that the local youth deems it worthwhile to stop their cars and harass the poor runner by mimicking tackling him american football style. And complain that you don't smell too good after doing that. I guess that passes for entertainment in the countryside.

Then, today, I decided to go for the final long run before the marathon, so I went running for 23 km (this time in a more civilized part of the country). It went reasonably well at first, but as I hadn't bothered to check the thermometer, I hadn't realised that it was just too damn hot for running (+32 ° C), at least for a resident of a northern, usually cold country, such as yours truly. After two hours of running I felt flaccid and exhausted, and I doubt that I'd been able to run for 19 km more. At least I would have been very pissed off, if I'd had to do that.

I suppose I'll have to start partaking in the Stockholm Marathon, which takes place in spring, instead of HCM, or quit running marathons altogether, so I won't have to waste the best days of summer for something I'd rather not do...

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