Notes
Run #45 of Slowtwitch 100 Runs / 100 Days Challenge [Day 72 / 62.5%]
I got to the Gym as a severe thunderstorm rolled over us; yes, thunderstorm in February [or Feb-tober, as I've been calling it]
There weren't many folks there, so I was able to select a good treadmill for myself. After, laying my stuff out, I realized that I'd left my FitBit in the locker room, so I scampered back to retrieve it. When I returned, I saw that a dude had grabbed the 'Mill right next to me, even though there were several to choose from elsewhere on Cardio Row. He was tall, maybe 10-15 years younger than me, and wearing a tank shirt, split shorts and a baseball hat
[if you're running indoors, on a treadmill, [i]why a hat[/i]? You're not gonna get rained on and the sun won't be in your eyes]
I did a light stretch and monkeyed with the TV while he fooled around with the dashboard on his machine. He got himself going just a few seconds before me. He had a pretty decent stride, and wasn't landing heavily enough to make a lot of racket on the deck.
As he settled in, and I began to chug along myself [with not nearly the same fluidity] I made the mistake of peeking at his stats. He was plugged into a pace 1 mph faster than me
'Don't worry about that' I told myself 'he's younger and taller, so he's naturally going to be quicker. Just focus on your numbers, watch the game [Texas A&M vs Mississippi State] and do your workout'
I followed my own advice pretty well, with only a couple more peeks to my left to see how far "ahead" of me he had gotten
I had given myself three goals to run to: a certain distance, then a certain time, and if I still fell good, "next commercial break" which then became, "next even mile marker after play resumes"
Finally, I came to the point where I [i]had [/i]to stop to get my cool down and get on home. He was still striding along beside me as I plugged my earbuds in, and began my post-run stroll. About halfway through the second song on my playlist, he shut down as well and hopped off to get paper towels & spray to clean off his station
I dismounted as well, to say to him "That was fun"
"Yeah, it was" he replied "I probably would have stopped earlier if you weren't there"
Imagine that, little old me, persuading the better man to keep at it