Sunday, July 19, 2015

Running with Hulk Hogan

Wow..It's been way too long since I have written a blog!  This used to be something I was so passionate about ... and I lost that passion.   I guess I thought that I had run out of things to share, or time to share any of it.  Either way, that is unacceptable.  So, here it goes.

Just about everyone knows by now that I am in the middle of training for a half marathon that I am running the day after my birthday in September.  I have worked up to 8 miles and have done this distance twice now.  I am feeling pretty good about my physical ability to make the 13.1 mile distance ... but this hasn't come without a lot of speed bumps.

I realized quickly that a regimented running schedule was not something that ... let's say ... fit me.  I love running.  I love the pure, simple, idea of running for the sake of running and how it makes me feel.  I don't like HAVING to run.  I also feel like long runs during the week just don't really fit into my busy schedule (nor my desire to sleep until the very last second).  So, what is a girl to do?  Well, NOT running during the week is not an option.  Listen, distances over 8 miles shouldn't be taken lightly, injuries can happen if you don't prepare yourself .... so.... I have to run.  I'm going to try shorter distances during the week but just more of them and see how that goes.  I'll keep you updated.

In other news, the long distances on the weekends have been GREAT!!  I so enjoy being out in nature and the fact that it is so dang hot out means that I have to do my long runs earlier in the morning (which for some reason I don't mind on the weekends because I am in no rush).  Early morning runs offer opportunities to see nature "waking up" ... and I love it!  Three weeks ago I saw a deer ... like a real baby deer about 20 feet away from me ... eating leaves.  He/she just stood there chewing leaves and I just stood there staring in awe.  We stared at each other for a good 3 minutes before it ran off.  This morning I must have seen 3 or 4 bunnies ... cute little cotton tailed bunnies!

None of this beats what I saw last weekend on my first 8 mile run!  I was coming up to the end of mile 4 - feeling like I was going to die and there was no way I could possibly do that loop around town AGAIN!  When all of a sudden, out of nowhere, running right toward me was HULK HOGAN! Yellow tank top, yellow bandana, blonde handle-bar mustache... running right toward me.

"I'm hallucinating ... this is how I will die... running down the street and the last person I see is Hulk Hogan.  The paramedics will tell my mother that I lost my mind in the ambulance murmuring something about Hulkamania and ripping my tank top."

It seriously took everything inside of me not to stop the man and ask if I could take a selfie with him - because NO ONE is going to believe me.  I waved, he waved ... we continued on our separate paths.  I spent the next two miles trying to convince myself that this was just a man that looked a lot like the Hulkster .. and not actually him.  "Hulk Hogan is a HUGELY tall man, this man was average height.  Hulk Hogan would not be running on the greenway in Concord North Carolina, Adrienne."  It was a good distraction.

At some point around mile 7, we crossed paths again.  I am strangely sad to report that this man was not Hulk Hogan.   I am happy to report that I was not hallucinating and I didn't die on that run.  I totally wish I had the guts to ask for that picture!