So, I spent most of Sunday moping around the house, checking Western States’ results updates, eating chocolate pudding with whipped cream, and feeling sorry for myself because I couldn’t run the race this year. But then I remembered all the Oprah episodes I’ve watched over the past 25 years (and how many hours of my life I’d spent with someone I’ve never met – call me, Op!), and I knew that the only way to move forward was to think of all the reasons it was good that I couldn’t run Western States:
1. By losing $1000 on the accomodations I couldn’t use at Squaw Valley, I now don’t have the money to waste on frivolities like unnecessary shoes, purses, or dental care.
2. Instead of spending a weekend running in the mountains with skinny, sweaty people caked with dirt, I laid on the beach with chubby, sweaty people caked with sand – much classier.
3. Because I was at the beach instead of in the mountains, I was able to set aside my fear of getting eaten by a mountain lion for one weekend. Yes, I had to worry about getting eaten by a shark, but they usually only bite off your limbs, a much better way to die because your face is spared. Mountain lions have no regard for vanity and usually go for the face and neck.
4. I didn’t have to worry about looking good for the cool professional race photos they take on the WS course that make the runners look like true badasses. The stress of a photo session is just more than I could have handled. I much prefer the distorted, fuzzy self-portraits I take when I’m trail running.
5. I missed the Friday night earthquake at Squaw Valley. Whew. Staying in Los Angeles is so much safer – nothing bad ever happens here.
6. I didn’t have to get my brand new trail shoes dirty.
7. I didn’t have to miss the “Good Witch” marathon that played all day yesterday on Lifetime Movie Network. Who knows when that golden opportunity would have presented itself again.
8. I got to eat this
and this
Instead of these
And no gel-induced puking! (We won’t get into the snow-cone, chocolate pudding-induced stomach ache I suffered through for 4 hours.)
9. I don’t have to go buy a new belt for the cool belt buckle I might have gotten for finishing Western States – one less errand to run.
10. Okay, I can’t think of a tenth reason – even for Oprah. (But still call me, Op! Let’s do lunch!)
Tomorrow: 10 Reasons It’s Great That I Have Wrinkles
Happy Running!
Mom, ultrarunner, four-time US 24 Hour National Team member, adventure athlete, food writer. Graduate of the Pro Cooking Program at the New School of Cooking, Los Angeles. Will run for food.
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10. Being able to run again will be that much sweeter.
11. People who are injured can look back at your recent posts for reassurance that the’re doing the right thing for their body and being smart.
12. Your post made me laugh.
-1. But now I also want a sno cone. And a blizzard.
And that is why we are friends, SuperKate – you just made my day! 🙂
From that list it seems like it was win-win. No dirty shoes. No sweaty, smelly, muddy, tired athletes. No mountain lions. No earthquakes.Honestly you make trail running sound so inviting – not. Give me chocolate pudding with whipped cream any day.
I know, Char! And I just listed the good things about trail running 🙂 Actually, there is such a feeling of freedom out on the trails, that it makes up for all the dirt!
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