UPS Practice

I went up to UPS tonight for practice. The coaches had us run around the track 4 times and they tracked our "splits." Mine are a little inconsistent, mostly because my legs were cramping again!!!!!! That is VERY frustrating, but Anna (one of our mentors) told me that she used to get that and it will go away. She said it happens because of the mass of blood that rushes to the muscles when you start running and the muscles just can't handle it so they cramp up. She said hers went away after about 3 miles of walking! Oy! Tonight, as soon as I finished my 4th lap (at 15:29 min [SLoOOoOWWWWW]) my muscles let go!!! Nice timing. =0) Anna also said that I should stop and massage the muscles when that happens and she showed me a good stretch that will help too. Yea...some answers. I'm just happy to know that it will go away.

I was late when I got to the track because of TRAFFIC! One tow truck on the right side of the road and the WHOLE FREEWAY comes to a crawl. The mystery is why the LEFT lane is the only one that comes to a dead halt! I have never figured that out, but it seems to be a law of freeway travel whenever something happens off to the right. =0)

Anyway, I finally figured out how to get in to the track area and apparently they had already warmed up, so Coach Eileen told me to jog one lap around the track and then she would tell me what we were going to do that night. Turns out we were going to run around the track 4 more times (a mile) and they would track out times (if you hadn't figured that out already from the previous paragraph). I, however, ran too fast round the track the first time, so I think my time could have been better. I need to learn how to pace myself better. When I run around my neighborhood I kind of know where I should be when, but I guess i haven't learned how to feel it yet. That's why I'm in training!! =0) I don't think it helped that I had already walked (and run some) for 45 minutes or so earlier today. That's a story unto itself. Oh alright, I'll tell you. I took my car in to have the right front cv joint/half shaft/axle (chose one) replaced was told it would take a few hours, so I rode the bus home and it takes about 10 minutes to walk to my house from the closest stop. I get in the door and check for messages on the phone, only to find out that my car is now done!! OY! He actually called while I was still on the bus. Had he called my cell phone I would have just ridden it back around to the shop. Oh Well. The dog, in the meantime, is going nuts because he has wanted to go out for a walk since I got up this morning. "Okay, I'll take you out now and then go get my car," I tell him. Short 15 minute walk (because I knew I was going to practice tonight), hook him up outside, and walk back to the bus stop to go get my car. So I think I was really truly already warmed up when I got to practice, plus the jount around the UPS campus to find the entrance to the track, but you don't argue with your coach, so one time around the track it is. Perhaps next time we do the split time thing, I will not have anymore cramping and plan my day better. Se la vie!

My bed is calling me, so are my pictures, but they will have to wait until tomorrow, the bed wins.

Oh yeah, just a running tip from a newbie/wannabe...not a terrific idea to wear running shorts under jeans while running on a track in the sun. The sweat tends to travel down your legs under the pant and since the wind is not blowing on it, or the sun evaporating it, it just stays there. Very weird feeling. Just in case you wanted to know. =0)

Night y'all.