SOLO OCHO…
After a several day hiatus following the Los Angeles Marathon to let my sore muscles and equally sore ego heal, I finally hit the pavement this past Saturday.
Back at it!
No lofty goals, just a simple 8-miler (an “ocho”) to get my legs moving again and let my body know “we’re back.”
But the first run after the Los Angeles Marathon is always a bit of bittersweet experience.
Basically every weekend since September I’ve been running with the Team to End AIDS (T2) crew. And last weekend that number exploded as I was pounding the pavement alongside 24,999 other crazy marathoners trying to get from “point A” all the way to the ocean and “point B.”
This past Saturday, however, I was running alone. Just me, myself and I.
And while my iPod shuffle is great at playing music, it’s not much of a conversationalist or motivational running buddy.
Sure I passed plenty of runners and cyclists at Griffith Park and Burbank (and yes, I always wave “hi”). But it’s not the same thing.
I do already miss the T2 gang. They are my friends. They are my running family. And I look forward to training with them again this fall for the 2017 Los Angeles Marathon.
Now I’m not trying to throw a personal pity party… everyone feel sympathy for the lonely runner.
I am okay with running by myself. And sometimes in fact I do prefer it.
It’s just the natural adjustment period. I’ll get used to it.
As for the run itself, nothing earth shattering to report. I took it nice and easy (keeping tabs on a lingering blister) as I ran a route I’ve done dozens of times before. And while my legs still felt a little heavy (to be expected), it was a good run.
Now I just have to decide on my next race. I’m signed up for the Hollywood Half Marathon on April 9th (I’m a legacy runner), but I’m trying to decide what race… if any… that’ll I do in March (I’ve got three in mind). No rush to decide. My body will let me know.
For now, it’s just time to get back to basics and enjoy the road.
Run on!
Posted on February 22, 2016, in General and tagged Hollywood Half Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon, Team To End AIDS. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
Tripping The Kenyans 
Okay, a few things. First, your comment about being “alongside 24,999 other runners” reminded me of my favorite character in sitcom history, Reverend Jim Ignatowski from Taxi who said, “Woodstock. Half a million people gathered in peace and harmony . . . hey, you know, if I hadn’t gone, there’d only have been 499,999 people . . . lucky for them I went.”
I battled last week with my traditional post-marathon cold, so I didn’t hit the pavement again until yesterday . . . solo tres punta uno. I’m doing a couple 5-milers this week and then RnR NOLA this weekend.
And I’m telling you, as Bart Yasso is my witness . . . you will not regret the San Diego Half.
…I was a huge fan of Reverend Jim on Taxi (Latka worked best in smaller doses). I did have a bit of a cold myself so I feel your pain (and sniffles). Have a great run in N’awlins (I want to hear about it). And I’d like to run the SD Half, although I may run local and save the hotel costs (got a bunch of travel coming up).
Oh noes! Sorry to hear the two of you had a bit of a cold. I had a bit of something myself, and it was a struggle to eat anything for days, not even a doughnut or ice cream although I did inhale a bag of peanut m&ms..
Hopefully your blister will be banished to the netherlands soon. Mine flattened out, turned an unholy shade of blech, and I think it’s drying up into krustiville now. Woo. Didn’t even have to threaten to pop it.
I plan to run past all the on-course sweets in SD and zero in on that finish with a blazing (for me) fast time. The running past all the sweets isn’t a problem, the fast part is so I think I have my work cut out for me over the next month. I’m envisioning endless loops around the park instead of my usual run to and from the beach. Ah it’s all good, we do it because we love it right?
Thanks for chiming in. Colds and aches and pains are par for the course. As long as it’s not a chest cold, I’m good. My blister seems to be overstaying its welcome. It shrinks and then it swells up a little. I really don’t want to pop this sucker, but its days are numbered if it won’t go away on it’s own. As tempting as sweets are on the course, I avoid them and bring my own food. Plenty of sweets after, of course. Now are you running SD half or hot chocolate race? I’m still not sure what race I’m going to do (leaning toward a local race to save hotel costs).
Howdy!
I am running the Hot Chocolate 15k. My sister and her family are joining me for the weekend and we are going to make it a mini-vacation. I hope they don’t wear me out too much. My sister can shop like nobody I have ever seen. It is really quite impressive.exex
Hmmm. This is my second time trying to post. I think my netbook hates me.
Oh noes! Sorry to hear the two of you had a bit of a cold. I had a bit of something myself, and it was a struggle to eat anything for days, not even a doughnut or ice cream although I did inhale a bag of peanut m&ms.. I’m going with I needed the carbs and protein theory. It is a bummer that your blister is hanging on. Mine sort of flattened out, turned some fairly gross shade of ick and is in the process of drying out.
I actually enjoy running solo and have only run with another person once or twice. That way there is nobody to hear my horrific singing along to “Intergalactic” and/or force me to actually be civil at some ungodly hour.
I’m hoping to finish the Hot Chocolate 15k with a speedy (for me) time so I have some work to do in the next month. But if I don’t finish fast it’s all good. We do these because we love to run eh?
Wishing you a blister-free week!