Sunday, April 26, 2009
Crazy Legs
I was duped by a friend of mine at La Follette to run in the 28th annual Crazy Legs run this past Saturday. It is an immensely popular 5 mile road run to benefit UW Athletics that winds through the central parts of Madison and the Campus, ending in Camp Randall football stadium. Everyone has said the Crazy Legs is a lot of fun. A bunch of people (18,500+ this year) and at the finish they give you beer - very novel and Wisconisn-like idea. So, when a La Follette contingent signed up and starting pestering me to join, I had little chance of refusing.
Although I love being active and playing all kinds of sports, I generally avoid such frivolous things like simply running. I can chase a soccer ball for hours, but going out and running just for the hell of it is one of the sillier things a person can do. It is long, it is monotonous, and it is painful. But, I always seem to let myself get talked into doing a race every now and again.
I put my name in a while ago, but didn't really do a whole lot of training. I have been lifting weights at the gym, playing racquetball, cycling, and playing a little soccer and so I felt confident I could finish the race just fine. I wasn't concerned with time as much as just running with friends and having a good time. We even had a big spaghetti dinner the night before to get ready. Everyone was in high spirits even though rain was in forecast.
That night, the heavens opened and it rained into the morning. I checked the forecast right before leaving for the race and it didn't look good. Rain all day. I met my friends at the race start (Capitol Square) and stood in line for our turn to take off. I was decked out in all red (even red UW cycling socks) and was feeling pretty good due to a brief respite in the rain. Just as we reached the front, however, it started to pour. Big, cold rain drops descended upon us as we headed down to the Campus.
I like to try and make this sound terrible sometimes, but the truth is that I had an enjoyable time. The rain was invigorating and it didn't stop me - nor the other 18,000 people - from having a really great time. Though it rained the whole time, I felt good throughout and finished strong across the line. Outdoor speakers pumped the 'Rocky' theme at various points and I even picked up an umbrella along the way. I wasn't fast, but that wasn't the point. Afterward, I ran off to another friends to shower and clean up before going to work. Work went fine and now I can say I am a crazy leg. I will try and get a picture and post it soon.
Although I love being active and playing all kinds of sports, I generally avoid such frivolous things like simply running. I can chase a soccer ball for hours, but going out and running just for the hell of it is one of the sillier things a person can do. It is long, it is monotonous, and it is painful. But, I always seem to let myself get talked into doing a race every now and again.
I put my name in a while ago, but didn't really do a whole lot of training. I have been lifting weights at the gym, playing racquetball, cycling, and playing a little soccer and so I felt confident I could finish the race just fine. I wasn't concerned with time as much as just running with friends and having a good time. We even had a big spaghetti dinner the night before to get ready. Everyone was in high spirits even though rain was in forecast.
That night, the heavens opened and it rained into the morning. I checked the forecast right before leaving for the race and it didn't look good. Rain all day. I met my friends at the race start (Capitol Square) and stood in line for our turn to take off. I was decked out in all red (even red UW cycling socks) and was feeling pretty good due to a brief respite in the rain. Just as we reached the front, however, it started to pour. Big, cold rain drops descended upon us as we headed down to the Campus.
I like to try and make this sound terrible sometimes, but the truth is that I had an enjoyable time. The rain was invigorating and it didn't stop me - nor the other 18,000 people - from having a really great time. Though it rained the whole time, I felt good throughout and finished strong across the line. Outdoor speakers pumped the 'Rocky' theme at various points and I even picked up an umbrella along the way. I wasn't fast, but that wasn't the point. Afterward, I ran off to another friends to shower and clean up before going to work. Work went fine and now I can say I am a crazy leg. I will try and get a picture and post it soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
