How to Get Boxer Slobber Off Your Leg, and Other Handy Tips While Running Long Distances

Well, you are probably now asking, "Mr. Pythagoras, how DO you get Boxer dog slobber off your leg during a long run?" I pondered this very dilemma this morning for about a half mile before the answer struck me, and I just scraped it off onto the side of a bench. I was initially tempted to wipe it off with my hand, and then wipe my hand on the dew kissed grass. But then I thought to myself, "EWWWW!" That dog could have just been licking it's nads or a-hole (medical terminology), I don't want to touch it with the same hands that are going to be wiping sweat off my face or handling my water bottles. You can never underestimate the flexibility of a dog, and their ability to reach less than desirable locations!

But now, back to my long run. The plan was to go out for 3:20 to 3:30 and hope to cover up to 23 miles. I ended up running for 3:16, and covering 23 miles. Good enough! I was very tired this morning. I just didn't feel any energy for some reason. My pace was better than I felt, however, and I ended up with my intended mileage in a shorter period of time.

Once again, I took advantage of the school tracks in Medina to get some mile splits. The first one was at A.I. Root Middle School at 13.1 miles into my run. So at the half marathon distance I ran an 8:04 mile. I'll take that, considering my marathon pace is a bit slower than that, around an 8:30 to 8:45 pace.

My second mile split was at Medina High School at 18.8 miles into the run. I turned that one out in 8:33, right at my marathon pace. By this point I was getting extremely tired. The legs just weren't feeling fresh and I was laboring in my breathing just to maintain a steady pace. I took my first gel at Root, and my second at the high school. I had packed four bottles of Gatorade Endurance and had gone through three of them. Maybe I should have planned to consume more gels, intake more calories out on the road. Maybe I should have eaten a bigger breakfast, more calories before starting. Whichever, I was hitting the wall.

My third and final mile split was at Claggett Middle School at 20.5 miles into the run. By this point, my form was deteriorating to the point that my knee began bothering me. I had to walk a 150 meter portion to avoid making my knee worse. My split here was 9:32. Definitely too slow. I took another gel and downed a good bit of water before leaving on the home stretch.

I had to walk another portion on the way home due to my knee. I was able to pop it a couple times, and eventually didn't have any more problems. One of these days, I'm going to have it looked at. Something in there gets in the wrong place sometimes, and it hurts. Bad.

The rest of the way home was somewhat uneventful. But that leads me to another running tip. Don't cross intersections in front of old ladies in cars. Even if you have the right of way. They've forgotten how to drive by this point, so just stop, wait, and when they finally do see you, make an "after you" motion with your hands and give them a big condescending smile. The "what the hell?" look on their faces is priceless.

I was so tired when I got home that it hurt. I didn't cramp at all. I wasn't building up lactic acid the way you do while sprinting. My legs were just drained to the point they hurt. And wouldn't stop hurting. For those non-runners out there, when your legs hurt, you stop running and walk, and the pain goes away. This pain didn't really begin until I was done. I'm sure some of it was mental, but it was agonizing. It cleared after 30 minutes or so, but man, I'd love to get to the point where that doesn't happen. It sucked. Massage please?

Well that's it. That was my last long run before Columbus. It's all shorter than that from now on. Hopefully I can have a good taper, rest up, and be ready to rock in October.

Mr. P