I shared my 5K race experiences last weekend, but what I didn't share was what happened AFTER the race.....
As I was filling the tub and trying to wrap my brain around what I was about to do (It's good for you, Rob. It'll reduce swelling. It's what 'real' runners do.).....the phone rang. My mom was calling for some techie advice (Hubby's a bit of a computer geek - in a good way), so I was left to my own devices. (This is where it gets ridiculous!)
As the water began to fill the tub, I was rethinking this entire venture... What the heck am I doing?? Oh, yes, I remember... see the previous paragraph. :) Next, I dumped the large bags of ice in, stripped down, and proceeded to sit on the side of the tub... pondering, cursing, looking for the strength to do what I knew I needed to do....
One foot in...OMG! Another foot in....OMG, OMG, OMG!!!! TOO COLD, and OUT they came! This went on for a few more minutes, with me eventually adjusting the water temp to a little warmer - "melt some of the ice, warm the water slightly" was my thought process. All the while, I'm sitting safely on the side of the tub, feet on the floor.
As the water warmed slightly, I decided to try again, with my hands placed precariously on either side of the tub: one foot in (still freezing cold, but NEED to do this), and just as I began to put the other foot in... SPLASH!! I FELL into that FREEZING cold water like a giant truck splashing into a lake! Friends, there are not enough OMGs to describe what I felt at that moment. I'm not sure what numbed first - my body parts or my brain, but I remember realizing that there was a pause on the phone as Hubby was talking with Mom. I learned later that he heard the splash, and figured, "Well, she'll work it out." Aaahhh... that's my hubby - always having confidence in my resourcefulness. :)
So I suffered through what was the most excruciating 10 minutes of my post-run, running life (so far); yep, that's all I could handle. And with that, the hot water was turned on full-blast and I proceeded to soak in a lovely, WARM, bath for the next 20 minutes. Yes! Thank you, temperature gods!!!
It was a few minutes later that Hubby came in to check on me, saw the puddle of water on the bathroom floor (and a few remaining ice cubes.....damn them, mocking me!), and smiled as he asked so sweetly, "Everything okay in here?"
One step closer to no longer being a newbie, I suppose..... :)
So, what's your favorite race day outtake or blooper? Do share!
My Thankful Three
Today, I am thankful for:
Warm baths
Hot showers
The willingness to laugh at all the stupid things that happen to me :)
Happy running, friends... Have a great weekend. I'm nursing another round of 'sick' and haven't run since Monday. Complete bummer. Planning a 5-miler for Sunday....
Robin
3 comments:
Ok I don't get it.. Somehow none of your new posts show up in my reader. I think I need to go through and weed out a few peeps...
I was FORCED to endure cold whirlpool baths after every basketball practice. eventually you get used to it, takes a long time. My trick was to read a magazine or talk to a teammate...staring at the clock makes it colder.
Off to catch up on what I have missed...
LMAO! Oh girl! Let me give you a little ice bath tip... Fill the tub up with luke warm/cold water, get in, AFTER you're in, have hubby dump in the ice. Also... I wear a sweatshirt and wear my iPod blasting loud obnoxious music that I can head bang to in an attempt to bare the pain and/or I call someone and make them tell me absolutely every detail about their day so I have something to focus on. My friend Rixy finds these calls hilarious as I squeal like a little girl the entire time! LOL!
You're awfully brave to attempt an ice bath! I get goosebumps just thinking about it. :)
One of my more memorable race day outtakes happened a couple summers ago when I'd signed up to run a corporate 5K around the plant I worked at. I was off-site for most of the day before the race and ended up leaving late, so as I drove back to the plant, I changed out of my work clothes and into my running clothes piece-by-piece. This mostly happened at stoplights, although I think I put shorts on while actually driving (or swerving, I should say). I emerged from my car at the race fully dressed...but I don't know that I'd do all that again. :)
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