Run-Walk Experiment

After work yesterday we went over to Lake Elkhorn in Columbia MD (where I am staying) so that I could run the trail there a few times. Note: Lake Elkhorn is not a lake. It is more like a glorified pond. More interesting though is this little tidbit about Maryland: There are NO natural lakes in the entire state! Crazy. Anyway, there is a path that goes around the “lake” which is said to be 2 miles. All along the path are many offshoots so it was a little confusing at first. I definitely took one wrong turn. It was alright though because I ended up stumbling upon some kids doing some fun stuff on skateboards like riding down a hill then crashing into grass and jumping off the boards. Meanwhile this other kid was being forced to sit in the adjacent park and practice trumpet. Wah wah.

Back to business! I decided I needed to run 6 miles last night, so three loops (and a little change due to my detour). I also decided to try out this training technique known as the run-walk method that I read about in the New York Times in an article "Better Running Through Walking" posted yesterday. Apparently some people are big proponents, while others are skeptical to say the least. The idea is that you run, and then walk. Duh. However, it’s not that you run until you are tired, then walk to rest, but walk before you are tired. Some say this method prevents injury and can even improve running time. It went pretty well for me, though there was definitely a little devil-me on my shoulder when I was walking saying "Doesn't this feel great? Running sucks." I asked my runner pal Amy* what she thought about it and she expressed a similar sentiment:

For me, it’s just uncomfortable. Like if I start walking, I never want to start running again. My lack of willpower forces me to run the entire time.

She also name dropped some famous dude Jeff Galloway, so you can check him out if you want more deetz on this run-walk thing. If you have anything to say on the topic, or any other topic for that matter, drop it in the comments section as per usual.

Overall the run last night went well. These were the highlights:

• Skateboard kids, as previously mentioned.
• A million tiny babies in strollers that would look at me when I ran by.
• Crazy cute Jack Russell puppy.
• When this lil kid pointed at me and said “She’s like mommy” and the dad said “Yeah mommy runs too, but she’s not that skinny.” Yesss, I am skinnier than someone’s mom.

Then we went back to the house and had butternut squash ravioli. Before I knew what was in it I suggested we put marinara on it. After we proceeded to do that, Zack’s mom was like “Are you sure you want to do that? It’s squash.” But you know what? It was darn good. Then a dead bug fell out of the light over the kitchen table and landed on my plate. The end.

*Amy is a great runner. She has run several half marathons and done very well. This October she will be running her first full marathon in the Baltimore Marathon. Whether she likes it or not, she will be featured on this blog somewhat regularly.