5.18.2008

Lessons learned while blogging

  1. If you write about your running addiction long enough and you'll get to 100 posts
  2. You'll then get a crazy idea to write a list of 100 things to celebrate it
  3. I've learned that maintaining a blog is more involved than I originally thought
  4. I've also learned that it's more of a social experience than I originally thought
  5. I never thought there was a large running blog community
  6. I never thought that through blogging I'd become involved in other people's lives
  7. I never thought I would make friends just by blogging
  8. I never thought I would run anything shorter than a Half-Marathon
  9. The Laminator can convince even me to run a 10K two days before the race
  10. It turns out I can actually run a 7:57 pace for a 10K on the hilliest course NYC can offer
  11. I have also learned 10Ks are an entirely different kind of race than Half-Marathons or Marathon
  12. The Laminator has a not-so-secret agenda to make me faster
  13. The Laminator's plan seems to be working
  14. I would have never met The Laminator if it wasn't for this blog...
  15. ...and a free pair of shoes
  16. I also wouldn't have met an entire world of runners
  17. Including Jess, who can drink and write me under the table
  18. And Jon, who can write an intriguing story, but doesn't seem to know how to end it
  19. And Nitmos, who has been reading Don Quixote since Cervantes published it back in 1605
  20. And Vanilla, who is as close to a running blog celebrity as we have
  21. And Marcy, who is as close to a running blog groupie as we have
  22. And J, who's house I am increasingly jealous of
  23. And Moon, who has a genuinely amazing story
  24. And Nancy, who is the world's first virtual race director
  25. And Amanda, who had the most memorable wedding--ever
  26. And Amy and Tom, who have done so much to build a community of runners
  27. And Steve, who could run circles around me, even with a bum Achilles tendon
  28. And Ted, who's borrowed my URL format
  29. And Dean, who was a kid in a candy shop last month
  30. And the dozens of others who have stopped by for a bit
  31. Ta da!
  32. Wait, I'm only at 32? Jesus Christ, 100 items, what was I thinking?
  33. This is turning out to be one marathon of a post
  34. Get it, marathon, because I run marathons? Get it??
  35. I've learned that I'm much funnier in my head than I am on paper
  36. Or in type
  37. I derive entirely too much humor from this clip
  38. But I can't help watching it again
  39. "Look at the good I do." Priceless.
  40. I've learn that I can run with glass in my foot for up to three months
  41. Actually, I just realized that I never wrote about that: turns out that I stepped on a chard of glass back in November and that's what was causing my foot pain and swelling. Of course I didn't know about the chard of glass until three months after the fact when I pulled it out with a pair of tweezers. I can't believe I was running with a piece of glass lodged in my foot!
  42. I've learned that I can run a marathon, even if I didn't run it the way I wanted to
  43. I've accepted that it was MY FIRST MARATHON EVER and that I ran it like a Half-Marathon, which was a big mistake
  44. I've learned that bees can sting you even when you're running a marathon
  45. I've learned that scratching a bee sting will leave a scar
  46. And that now that scar is officially referred to as my "marathon scar"
  47. And who doesn't want a marathon scar? It just sounds sexy.
  48. I've also learned that group runs are greatly beneficial (yeah, like I'm the first one to think that) not only in the social aspect, but also in improving speed
  49. And getting free shoes
  50. By the way, I'm half-way to getting a free pair of shoes
  51. Just like you're half-way through this post
  52. Group runs have also taught me that I can run without music
  53. Although I still bring Liam along for races and non-group runs
  54. And I bought some new music before yesterday's 10K so I was rocking out during the race
  55. New Yorkers are stoic runners and are easily freaked out when someone passes them with arms pumping to some kick-ass song and digging deep for that final kick (apologies to the woman I spooked yesterday before the finish line)
  56. I've also learned that I'm not your typical NYC runner in that I run in a diverse set of places and I'm not afraid to take the subway to start a run outside of my neighborhood
  57. Taking this approach has really enabled me to explore the city, finding amazing places along the way that most runners miss
  58. I have also learned that I'm the only person that uses the word "magical" to describe a run. It's not magical in the wizard way, it's magical in the "this feels a little surreal" kind of way.
  59. I also appear to be the only person that says running makes them feel superhuman. Once again, it's not superhuman in the way that Superman is superhuman--it's superhuman in that .00001% of humans run for long distances.
  60. You know what else makes me feel superhuman? This post. It's pretty long already and I've still got 40 more lines to write. Crikey.
  61. I've learned that I can talk about people like Ryan Hall and Paula Radcliffe and people will understand me here
  62. I've learned that the same does not hold true during conversations with non-runners
  63. I've learned that I'm not a tech-savvy as I ought to be: I just set up Google Reader two months ago--geez I'm slow
  64. You know what else is slow? Collecting all 50 states.
  65. I've learned that I'm not crazy for wanting to run a Half-Marathon or Marathon in each state
  66. And I have learned that there are crazies that have beat me to this goal eight times already
  67. I've learned to plan ahead, way ahead (yes, I have my races planned out for the next 12 months) in order to maximize travel
  68. But I've also learned that plans are just plans and do change, as with Fairfield and this weekend's 10K
  69. I've also learned to stretch
  70. Sweet God Almighty have I learned to stretch
  71. Just as an update: I have been free of IT Band pain ever since PT, turns out that all I had was a tight muscle that needed some loving
  72. I now make it a point to stretch out everything before and after a run
  73. Not that I don't get the occasional funny feeling in my knee or shin or calf--but once I do get that funny feeling, I know to stretch out that area really well and not ignore it in hopes of it magically healing on it's own
  74. I've also learned to not mix Johnny Walker and running
  75. I've learned that most people already know this lesson and that I was a late bloomer in this respect
  76. I've learned that my bowels are wimps on training runs
  77. I've learned that my bowels are iron-clad on runs
  78. I've learned that my experience at Disney was a classic example of how not to prepare for a Half-Marathon
  79. I've learned with every subsequent race how to properly train and prepare
  80. And I've PR'd at every race since Disney (Marathon and 10K are by default)
  81. God is this almost over? Who's idea was this anyway?
  82. I believe it was your idea
  83. Stupid me for getting ideas
  84. Although you're still reading at this point, so why the heck are you still reading?
  85. Well, I assumed you were building toward some poetic conclusion that elegantly weaves life and running into a harmonious universal truth about man, you know, providing a unique insight into the human condition, how through running--in the metaphoric sense of an unwavering focus on a distant goal--you can triumph over any obstacle. THAT is what I'm expecting.
  86. Well. Then. That's awfully grand of you.
  87. Thanks, I like to think about the big picture
  88. Well, you're just going to get more rambling for the remaining points
  89. WHAT? No big pay out for reading all of these kernals of wisdom?
  90. Well, you already did the whole universal truth bit, what's left for me to say? Plus that's just not my style
  91. Well, then what is your style?
  92. I guess that's another thing I've learned while blogging: I don't have seem to have a writing style
  93. I've learned that I'm a fan of writing lists
  94. But I've also grown to appreciate the long-format race recap
  95. I've also learned that I really like picking off people
  96. I've learned that people enjoy picking off me
  97. Like that guy who got cut me off at the six mile mark at yesterday's 10K
  98. And that old guy that passed me on a long run a few months back
  99. I've learn that it's not cool to be chicked
  100. Unless it's wifey, in which cases she can always chick me

12 comments:

Marcy said...

I know what you mean by not expecting to see too many running blogs and actually having friends through blogging. Crazy times I tell ya :P

Marcy said...

And Happy 100th! ;D

Kevin said...

Congrats on your 100th post. Great list

The Laminator said...

You are so so funny. Congrats on your 100th. You know I actually thought about doing the same thing for my 100th, but chickened out after 30 items.

I'm so glad you got to run your first 10K. I knew you had it in you to run sub-8, although until I met up with you after the race, I wasn't sure if you'd kill me for getting you to run without adequate preparation (I know how you like to plan ALL your races a year in advance!)

Great race, pal. Now that you got the first one out of the way, I see many more amazing races in your future!

Unknown said...

WHEW !!!! I cannot believe you actually wrote 100th list. There is one thing that still shock me was the glass shard was in your foot for three months. Will never forget that! Unbelievable! I just don't know how in the world you could run with that THING for three months!!! Anyhow, Happy 100th and one more thing, it was purely coincidental that I stole your URL idea.

Nitmos said...

I finished Quixote sometime while reading your list. At my pace, it took my 3 days to go through all 100 items.

Laura said...

Cute list and happy 100th!

Jess said...

Wow. That was pretty impressive...and entertaining!

Happy 100th! And many more...

Robert W. said...

Utterly hilarious. Congrats on reaching 100. You're an example to us all.

(Okay, so that may be a bit ambiguous, but it's meant in the positive way.)

Anonymous said...

Man, I don't have anything to report that's *nearly* as cool as a marathon scar. Or long-distance running with foreign objects embedded in my flesh. That's hard core, yo! I'm so jealous. And I'd love to see some of those stoic NY runners - I'd give 'em the ol' 1-2 last ditch surprise punch finish, too :)

Lots of other things I would/could/want to comment on, but for fear of stealing your thunder with a comment nearly as long as the original post, I shall abstain. Happy century post!! It's been great reading along so far :D

Brianna said...

Wow - congrats on your 100th post! Not that I'd wish a bee sting on anyone . . . but I did enjoy your comments about it and how it turned into your marathon scar. Sweet.

Nancy said...

Oh wow, this puts me to shame. What a COOL post. I loved it. And you know, as you read through it, it's so weird that we know that much about each other and all these other people. I knew most of what you were talking about. What a cool little community we have here.

Best of luck on 50 states. Thanks for coming on my journey with me. Always enjoy yours!