There were a couple of different directions I could go with this entry. The Yooper in me thought about using the theme of The Second Week of Deer Camp only with Run Camp injected in it's place, but in all honesty I can't stand that song. Any time it comes on, it does make me want to bash my head against the wall. Run Camp isn't causing the exact same reaction yet, but it is causing me to at least shake my head. Another theme, I could treat Run Camp as this mysterious metaphysical, binding force that surrounds all living things with both a light side and a dark side, yet can't be seen, but George Lucus would probably sue me. Instead, I'll attempt to tell the story of the events of the week and relate them to the final outcome.
The Run Camp experience is split in two sections, the long run on Saturdays and typically a shorter mid-week run. The mid-week runs are optional, though technically everything is optional. They aren't going to make you run and turn all drill instructor on us. If week one caused me to wonder, then week two only confirmed my suspicion that we are on our own to figure out our own path. My group leaders picked times for their mid-week runs that no working person can make. See now how I could have easily gone with the shaking my head theme? My solution to that problem, I already had been doing a mid-week run with a completely different group, which surprisingly enough has a much better social side (and didn't cost me a dime). I don't want to change the subject, but I had a very enjoyable run this week with them, maybe that will warrant another blog entry by itself. Back on subject, I find it very odd to choose times that would be very difficult for people to be able to participate. Then again, this is Michigan and with very few people working, maybe it makes perfect sense. For me it doesn't.
Since I'm still not entirely sold on my group, listed on the schedule for today's agenda was thirty minutes for what's called drop/add, or switching teams. This surely would be the time when as a group we talked about our goals, how we were feeling, getting to know fellow runners, and basically deciding if we were in the right group. Instead, that was maybe two minutes (without any of those ideas by the way), while we were given a demonstration of core exercises for the rest of the time. I can't complain too much, that is valuable information and at least we are getting something. But this week is suppose to be the week teams are set for the remainder of the camp. This is where I'm just going to let the force (Luke, I am your father) of Run Camp run it's course, hopefully the light and the dark sides are equal.
Now to the run, the whole purpose of Run Camp. I started out in the back, mainly just to watch how the run would go this week. Would we stick tightly together, would there be more conversation, or would it be a repeat of last week? A mile in, we were split into about three clumps. So, this was going to be a repeat of last week. This is where I got irritated, already not happy with the mid-week run events, a group run that really isn't a group, our pace seemed slow (though looking at my stats after we were within our limits, so I can't officially be mad at that, but damn it, it felt like it!) and I could see a small group pulling away from our front leader. That was the last straw and clearly I'm on my own again this week, might as well run for me. I caught the group that was pulling away and stuck with them for a short time, then some hills started and they slowed and I kept going, now I was leading our group. The second water station was a 3.5 miles out. I stopped here, curious if the group would turn around here or not. Originally, I was only planning on doing 7 miles, so this was going to be my turn around point. The first team member behind me also got a drink, then as I was planning to wait for the rest of the group, she says "ready to keep going?". If she's doing it, I'm game, so off we went. At about the same time we started, a good song started playing (oh yes, I head my headphones in again), so I know I pushed the pace even more (so for the record as somebody who is complaining how non-social Run Camp is, I'm not doing my part either). Even though I was grooving, it hit me that her single comment to keep going was the most interaction I got in two weeks of Run Camp, that should count for something and what did I do, sped off without taking advantage of this opportunity. At mile marker 4 I stopped again, now I've never ran more than 7 miles and I'm now at the point of doing 8. She wasn't that far behind, our group however was.
Same question, turn around? Yet, I didn't even get to ask it. She pretty much just ran passed me with the comment, "lets do 9". Sold! Here's my run partner for Run Camp. Whether she was looking for a partner or not, I'm not sure, but she earned my respect at that moment, one for pushing me, the second for not seeming concerned for what our group was doing. For the remaining 5 miles I was finally happy to run with somebody. I think it's a pretty good match, which was later confirmed when she announced to her friends that I was the one who pushed her to do 9 miles. Huh, somebody who enjoys teasing, that doesn't sound like anybody I know! So mark this on the calendar, this is the first real positive to come from Run Camp.
Took a long time getting here, but the title of this entry. Yes, Run Camp does rub me the wrong way so far. Why the picture of the sand? The lesson for this week is when running long distances, clothes do tend to rub. It wasn't until I got home and jumped in the shower that I noticed my nipples felt very odd. After those two long seconds that took entirely too long to register why (I are so smart!), I realized that my shirt was rubbing to the point it felt like my shirt was made of sandpaper. Not anything major, in fact it's kind of funny, but that information was NOT given out in Run Camp. So, Week Two rubbed me the wrong way in both senses of the phrase...but the physical issue is correctable and the mental issue got a whole lot better based on my new partner.
(Yeah, I know I used this photo before for a prior blog entry, but I find it cool that it has sand in it for my sandpaper reference, but even more interesting is what I titled it back then, "5 miles Up" since it was the last 5 miles that things started to look up.)
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