Tuesday morning brought the unanticipated (not that knowing would have made a difference) Camp Gladiator (CG) Fit test. This was a newly devised, exquisite, method of breaking one down to a mass of gasps and aches. After about a 15 minute or so warmup, at about 05:50 or so, we began this not to be loved experience. Why always Tuesday mornings? (Well, one could wait for the 6 a.m. Wednesday morning class.) In essence, one does 5 different "exercises" (brutal), each for a minute, then record your count, and immediately begin the next one. After the 5 minutes, a minute and a half? off, we went right into the next iteration. There were 5 such sets with the last two being only 45 seconds per exercise.
I ached for the rest of the day. So, Wednesday comes, and those who had not done the Fit Test Tuesday were so inflicted while the rest of us had a lot of leg related exercises interspersed with runs around the parking lot. More hurt. Only worse. Really bad in the after noon. I applied this and that (horse liniment; arthritis and epsom salt sports rub, and anacar.) Still ached.
Early evening, off to Carolina Godiva Track Club fun meet in Chapel Hill. I went early so I could practice starting from blocks (new to this.) It began raining so that was halted but come meet time, the loyal CGTC folk were ready to run, despite the rain (no lightning.) I did not run the 1500m. I knew better. (Though I did the mile last week, I am not a track distance person.) Besides, I hurt.
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I was not going to use blocks for the 100m. Few at CGTC do. How about no one. But my younger pal who is getting ready for her first meet on Sunday since a July surgery wanted to use hers and encouraged me to try since I need to get used to it. So there we were, in the rain, waiting for our row to go. One of the CGTC members stood umbrella in hand! (Mary Poppins). She did not run with it.
Feeling like a fool, I go to the line with the blocks and sort of position myself. I can't bend my right knee all the way (residual arthritis, it seems, from prior meniscus surgery) so I look even dumber, more awkward, than most. Bang, goes the gun. I get out of the blocks but my speed is lousy. All the way to the end (everyone else finishes before me; my pal in 14 plus seconds.) It took me 19.22 seconds. My timer said she thought I was slower using the blocks. Yep. That and being slower coming down the track. One knows when it isn't there and it was not there.
A 1500m speed walk is up before the 400m. My legs really hurt now. The calves in particular. Tight. Hurting. Ugh. The rain has let up by the time the 400m comes along. I was probably in the 4th group to go (we line up arbitrarily except that the kids always go first. It is fun to watch them. I don't know how they manage that distance with those short legs. One family's kids always run bare foot. This is the best part of the meet sometimes, watching them.) Any way, off I go. In lane 7, not running fast just wanting to finish. Most are way ahead of me. As we come near the final turn, the last person passes. I plod along. But coming down the last 100 was impossible, My legs really hurt. Finally, I walked. But the timers were waiting. I tried to jog and once again had to walk and at the end, barely fast walked across the Finish. 1:56!
Slow and an ache from knees down.
By the time I got home, not only was I ready for a shower but also for more sports rub. Went to bed. Got up at 1 a.m. I had to try the roller. Wow. Sore! But by the time I stopped, I felt a little better. At 5 a.m., I rolled again. Much better (still a bit sore but better.) I was able to do this morning's CG which had some running and some leg work.
Now, I shall remember to do roller every darn day! Hurt or not.
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