November Runfessions

With the end of the month here, I'm linking up with Marcia for this month's runfessions.  November has been a whirlwind of sorts between school events, conferences, traveling and more.  For all intents and purposes, the hamster wheel analogy fits all too well to describe these past few weeks.  So with that, the runfessional is now open!

I runfess...
...that I could not wait for this month to be over.  While so many exciting things happened, including my first run of the Pittsburgh 10 Miler, I also found myself just plain exhausted.  This showed pretty well in how my runs turned out.  Just getting the miles in, no matter how slow, was my only goal.

I runfess...
...that the dogs along my route are starting to drive me crazy.  While I am someone who likes dogs, the howling, growling and yelping has reached the point that it's just one constant noise throughout the entire run.  I can only think of one dog who doesn't participate in this cacophony.  And for the record, when I hear someone attempting to call his or her dog to return, my first thought is that the canine will give chase.  I figure it's better to err on the side of caution.

I runfess...
...that way too many of my runs have ended after dusk.  With the crazy schedule of late, I can't hit the road until the sun is already setting and the sky, while pretty, gets darker and darker.  I've also gotten into a bad habit of assuming my runs will be much shorter/take less time than how reality plays out.  Because of all this, I find myself darting from streetlamp to streetlamp (which are sparse as it is) attempting to make it home safely.

I runfess...
...I've already begun window shopping all the new running gear I want.  Between the emails from the Pittsburgh Marathon advertising its training apparel and all the amazing gadgets and tech coming out this time of year, I'm inundated with so much cool stuff.  In no way do I expect to get the vast majority of item I see, but dreaming of that "In Training" jacket or heart-rate monitor isn't necessarily terrible.  Looking forward to seeing what Santa will bring!

What are your November runfessions?

Happy running!
Sean

October Runfessions

In deciding to try something new, I'm going to throw my hat in with Marcia for this month's runfessions.  While October has been a pretty decent month, this past week in particular has provided me with a plethora of topics for which I feel a need to runfess.

I runfess...
...that I really hope my daughter will decide to become a runner.  My wife and I are trying our best to not form too many expectations for who our daughter will become.  At the same time, it's really hard not to imagine what, if any, of our interests and talents she may adopt.  I like to say she is destined for runner-dom due both to the fact that she loves going on runs with me in her stroller and her legs are constantly moving all over the place.  I even suggested to my wife that we should sign the peanut up for the Pittsburgh Marathon Toddler Trot in May, but apparently a "nine month old can't run."  We'll see who's right....

I runfess...
...that I have been dragging my feet, for no apparent reason, to get my Road ID.  With almost all my runs taking place on roads and having had a few close calls, I'd say my need for an ID is pretty high.  To give even more credence to my laziness, I won a $15 gift card in August for one, but never took the next step of placing the order.  I finally today (three months later!) decided on which Road ID to get and hit submit.

I runfess...
...that a little part of me wanted to mow down a few individuals with the jogging stroller when I was out on my most recent park run.  Now, I like to think of myself as a pacifist with a fairly level head.  But, when people are constantly breaking pedestrian lane etiquette it drives me nuts.  Yes, I know you and your 16 closest friends want to walk next to each other, but you do not own the path.  This is especially dangerous when you not only take up the entire pedestrian lane but also the bike lane, thus forcing the rest of us to have to go into the motor vehicle lanes.  An accident is bound to happen due to this behavior.  The same is also true for people who, while walking or running, crank their music up in order to block out the world.  It's not just the world you're disconnecting from, but also the ability to hear if someone/something is approaching from behind.  These problems boil down to being about safety and respect.  Okay, I'm stepping off my soap box on this one....

I runfess...
.... that I would be totally content to never see another goose in my life.  I've lost count of the number of times these little buggers have hissed at me as I run past.  They have also done their fair amount of damage to the ponds and sidewalks from the sheer amount of feces.  As winter approaches, the geese presence will not be missed in the least.

With a first runfession in the books, I'm feeling much better with November approaching.  What are your October runfessions?

Happy running!
Sean