So this little vacation (by which I mean math camp) I've been enjoying is coming to an end. Gulp. We've had a lot of orientation events this week, and every time I tell an upper-level econ student that I'm a first-year, they get an evil grin of delight on their face, accompanied by a chuckled "You have no idea what you're in for." So if you never hear from me again, that's why. The end is nigh.
Running was awesome this week. The weather's really cooled down, I did some wonderful runs in the pouring rain, and all the little niggles that've had me worried since my marathon seem to have subsided. I do not let myself run with strange pains, even if they don't hurt that much, so I've really struggled to increase my mileage to where I want it to be. My weekly totals continue to hover around pretty low numbers (I'll hit 21 miles for this week - 5 runs, all easy), but my activity level has been high (I do a lot of walking here, which I love!) and overall I'm feeling really great.
These beautiful cedar trails probably have something to do with feeling great. See 'em and weep. Not too much, though; they only last a mile.
This was obviously not a rainy day. This was a beautiful day.
I think that's Spencer Butte, but I really have no idea. I have a terrible sense of direction here (that's what happens when you don't have mountains to use as a reference point).
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I do have a funny running story to share with you. Last weekend I managed to leave all my transportation (by which I mean my bike and my car) at some friends' place, so two of my runs this week ended there to allow me to pick one up (my bike doesn't fit in my car so it took two trips). Yesterday, I was on my way there when I happened to run into the people whose place I was heading towards (on a very roundabout, turn-one-mile-into-four-miles kind of route) and I got really excited. It was the very first time I had run into people I know off-campus!
When I made eye contact with one of them, I got a huge grin on my face. He looked away, though, so I figured he didn't recognize me in my running garb. They were far enough away that yelling at them would be embarrassing ("Hey, you guys, look at me, you know me, isn't this so exciting?!?!?"), so I just continued on my merry way.
The next time I saw them, I excitedly told them my story, expecting it to be met with "You were that hot chick running by!" But alas, no. Not at all. Instead, it was, "Wait, were you wearing ridiculous knee-high socks?! We made fun of you for the next ten minutes!"
Apparently compression socks aren't quite as mainstream as I thought, and some people think we wear them for purely aesthetic reasons. But hey, I educated them on the (alleged) benefits of wearing compression socks (which for me include preventing shin pain when increasing my mileage) and turned them around to my side. Jeano: fighting compression sock antipathy one run-in at a time!
Question: do people ever make fun of you for your compression socks/sleeves/what-have-you?
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Only you, JJo, only you! This is a fantastic story. I love it so, so much. I only wear my compression socks for after runs when I am safely tucked away in the house.
ReplyDeleteDid the math classes you were taking in the spring/summer (I forget) prepare you for math camp? What kind of math are you doing? Is it like advanced calculus or statistics or what? (My math brain is out of shape so I am trying to live vicariously through you because I am a geek!)
It never even occurred to me that wearing compression socks look strange! You see so many pictures of people wearing them on blogs that it's been drilled into me that they're part of "most" people's running uniforms.
DeleteThe math classes most definitely helped! I'm incredibly glad I took them, although now that the semester's started I wish there had been time for a proofs class! Oh well. I've done two semesters of calculus (although I've done a lot of multivariate as part of other classes as well), differential equations, and linear algebra. We're using all of that (and more!) in class. We've also got a data analysis class which is going over pretty advanced stats this quarter (trimester? I don't even know what they're called-there's three of them each academic year). Next quarter we'll put that knowledge to use with some of the more popular data analysis programs economists use. Fun stuff!
Haha! Tell them that only hot badass marathon runners wear them!
ReplyDeleteAnd quit school and sell your pics. Seriously!
You're too kind! I promise you that it's 90% Instagram.
DeleteDon't worry, they got a mouthful from me. But I guess I now sort of understand why I often get strange looks when I'm out running!
Love it.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit that, back in Rochester, I often hid my post-run compression sleeves (I don't often wear them while running) under pants. In Singapore, pants are impractical, nevermind the double layer of compression sleeves PLUS pants - so instead, I go for proudly displayed compression sleeves with skirts or shorts. I haven't yet sunken to the "capris meet compression sleeves" level yet, though. :)
I wouldn't wear them while running if they didn't seem to help so much with shin pain! I think that once I get my mileage back up again, I'll be able to stop wearing them, but for now they're doing great things. I've actually never noticed any post-run benefit to wearing them (ie. they don't seem to help me with recovery).
DeleteI tried the compression sleeves-capri combo once. It was not pretty. Never again.
I had to come back here and inform you both that today, I saw people Running. A. Race. In capris and compression sleeves. (Perhaps they didn't want to shell out for tights?)
DeleteOh dear! I love your story, but I cannot believe they told you about making fun of you after you ran by. But at the same time, I appreciate people like that.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure there are many things we do and many things we wear as runners that those in regular society think are ridiculous, and probably make fun of. Alas, I am a runner and have no idea what those things may be. Probably because no one has been kind enough to tell me to my face.
Ahaha, never you worry. I've got a thick skin and most definitely give as good as I get. Plus, I always appreciate honesty (and a good laugh!).
DeleteI've been wracking my brain trying to think of other weird things I might wear, but I'm coming up empty. Let's hope that's because there isn't anything else and not because I'm totally clueless!
Hahahaha. That's awesome. I'm glad they actually told you instead of just laughing behind your back - those are going to be some true friends =). Looks like a beautiful place to be building your mileage back up from your aches and pains!
ReplyDeleteThe other day I saw my boss (who always wears very professional attire) wearing a pair of black pants..and then I saw the lululemon logo on them and awes like...workout pants at work? AWESOME.
No way! My Alaska boss regularly wears xtratufs with suits (he's a fisheries economist so I guess it's part of the look) - that always made me laugh. All my other bosses have been way too straight and narrow to wear fun stuff like that.
DeleteLooks beautiful! Compression socks do look funny, I would make fun of them too (although I sometimes wear them myself).
ReplyDeleteIt's so interesting to get a non-wearer's perspective! It honestly would never have occurred to me that they look strange to other people. Whoops.
DeleteHaha! I always wonder if I'm being made fun of when I wear mine! Oh well, all the cool kid ultra runners wear them so there teaser people! Not that I'm a cool ultra runner :)
ReplyDeleteEven hearing you say words like "math camp" and "econ student" makes my stomach get all tied up in knots! Lol! Math wasn't really my... language ;) I'm grateful for all you math-peeps who happily do all the math I'll never do!
Good for you for really listening to your body and not running with any weird niggles. Will you please remind me about that, like all the time?? I'm queen of 'oh I'm probably just still warming up'
Oh, and GORGEOUS pictures!