Tag Archives: Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2013

If I could take running on a steamy Valentine’s Day date, I would. I’ve been courting him for years and I think it’s time I finally get lucky.

We were introduced by friends at high school track, but truth be told, I didn’t really care for him at first. He was the cool kid. You know, the one that all of your friends doted over as he had that John Travolta, plain white tee with rolled up sleeves, Grease suaveness about him. Sure I had chills, but they weren’t immediately multiplying.

When we met, I was shy and had zero experience. I mean, my dad always told me that it takes at least two years to really know a guy and I had been fairly brainwashed about teenage boys and their hormones. Enter awkward gait and arm position.

So there we were, pushed together by fate and one of us had to make the move, or I literally wouldn’t be going anywhere. With a push from my friends, I ended up in a place I shouldn’t have been. A dangerous place that is for experienced folks, maybe even the seniors.

Sprinting and hurdles.

What?! How did I get here? He was moving way too fast for me. That’s almost third base — I am a lady and should be treated like one!

Being young and naïve, I got duped into the hurdles and sprinting because all of my friends were doing it. Oh young Page, haven’t you learned? Wasn’t this the type of peer pressure that they warned you about? Do you know what kind of diseases you could have gotten? Tendonitis Sprained ankles! Ligament tears! I can’t even continue on… What I should have done was listen to my dad, stood up for myself and declared, “Sorry, but I’m not that kind of girl.” What was I doing messing around with such a boy?

It took me two years to finally realize that I was approaching this relationship all wrong and what I really wanted. I was the girl who looked forward to our Friday dates more than anything. We weren’t doing 400 meter repeats and pushing out of the blocks. It was where we’d go long and we’d best of friends. Where we’d reach a new state of euphoria fueled by hormones, ehem, endorphins. Where I’d find my knight in shining armor. That’s all a 16-year-old girl really wants after all, isn’t it?

Once I was true to myself and had an honest conversation about where I wanted this relationship to go is when it happened: we fell in l-o-v-e and I haven’t looked back. We keep each other honest, accountable, entertained and in respectable shape. We made memories and continue to do so to this day.

If I can promise you one thing it’s this: this high school sweetheart relationship and I…we’re going to work out. No pun intended.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

(Don’t worry Chicken Face, I love you more!)

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Two Hot Dates

February 14, 2011

Whether you despise Valentine ’s Day or delight in its red hearts and romantic sentiment, one thing can’t be denied…love is in the air for this gal! Given that Cupid appears on a Monday this year, Chicken Face and I decided to celebrate this weekend, but that was after I had a hot date with another man: Mr. Dreadmill.

After a week of traveling and work, I was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of having to turn out my first 20-miler of the season this weekend. Despite the GORGEOUS weather outside (I know… crazy), my brain wanted to completely go numb and planning an interesting route was more than I cared to take on Friday night. Instead, I ran 20 on the dreadmill Saturday morning.

Ok, ok, before you slap me upside the head for doing this, there was more strategy to it than it may appear:

This was my first 20 miler of the season and in addition to training for your pace, you have to train to be on your feet for that long. Thus, this first 20 would be used to get my body used to simply moving for that long again.
I always go out too fast. I’m completely aware that this is a no-go, but I wanted to start testing two theories:
1. Go out faster so you can “bank” some time and it will account for the “fade” as you get into the higher miles. Do you go out a bit faster to “bank” time for the end of the marathon?
2. Or run at a specific pace for the entire time and see if my body still fades the same way it does when I go out a little bit faster to “bank” some time.
My brain needed a break but I still needed to get the training in, so I rented “You Again” on my iPhone and plugged it into the treadmill. PRESTO! New movies on the personal TVs at the gym. This and “The Hangover” helped me effortlessly cruise through the 20 miles.

To my surprise, this dreadmill strategy is exactly what I needed. The chick flicks helped me giggle, I kept at a slightly faster but steady pace the entire way through, and I was able to test out some new fueling options. The even better news? When the 20 miles were up, I didn’t feel completely beat to hell. In fact, I didn’t even have to nap…BONUS! Two hours and 35 minutes later, I was ready to celebrate an early Valentine’s Day with Chicken Face.

A trip to Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Science, surprise wine tasting and an amazing Italian dinner. My heart is complete!