Beating Up Bill

Posted on by gr4c5

I woke to rain and rolled my eyes. Of course it was raining. Of course. Today was race day. I had to run…and it was raining. At that point I wanted nothing more than to snuggle deeper under the covers and pretend I had a few more hours of snoozetime. It’s hard to take a stand when all you want is to let sleeping dogs lie. *sigh*
The park was buzzing with ipods and lycra tights. Stretching, jumping, running in place, people talking the talk of runners. PRs, last races, and strained hamstrings. Water, bananas and bagels. I got #779 and tried to figure out what happened in July 1979 that was good. Looking for an omen. Killing time with idle chatter to calm less than idle nerves. I heard a rumor the run was twice around the park. If memory serves me right, the park is only 1.1 miles around. Hmm? I anticipated a creative run…to say the least. At least it stopped raining.
Here’s what I forgot about running outside: Hills – up and down ones, gradual and steep ones. I wasn’t used to running down Duck Pond Hill. Weird on the knees. Gusts of wind. Cold wind. Patches of ice. Large puddles of really cold, dirty water. Larger than life piles of dog sh!t. I encountered all of it with shock and amusement. Ran right through all of it without prejudice. Baseball cap pulled low, low, low. Eyes on my feet the entire time. When I got to That Spot I cursed it. Fukc you and your pain. Even spit on it the second time around. Yes, even spit on it.
The creative addition to 2.2 miles? Running in a circle in the train station parking lot. I knew it would be different!
We finished running up Hell Hill. This, I’m used to it. It’s the only way out of the park, the only way home. I’ve done it a thousand times. Grind my teeth, focus on the feet and dig in. I found power and surged to the finish line. Before ‘These Are Days’ could get a minute of music, I finished. Technically, I finished on ‘Paint it Black’ – two songs earlier than I planned. I don’t have the official time, but I do know this, I officially finished. Beating up Bill never felt so good.

Bill’s Challenge Playlist:

  • Hotel California
  • We Didn’t Start The Fire
  • We’re Not Gonna Take It
  • Higher Ground
  • All My Life (kisa’s spur of the moment pick)
  • Lose Yourself
  • Paint It Black
  • These Are Days (didn’t hear)
  • The Scientist (didn’t hear)
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Published by gr4c5

I write. I read. I cook. I run. That's me, in a nutshell.

22 thoughts on “Beating Up Bill”

  4. NM~ I’m going to keep after you to try it. It’s the most social solo thing (besides a concert) you can do.

    Manda~ Thanks, at least the rain stopped before the race so it wasn’t another one of those days!

    Bec~ I should be thanking you! I needed a kick in the azz and you were there when I got it.

  5. Spitting always make a girl feel better!

    Your post made me think of three songs:

    Running up That Hill ~ Kate Bush
    Solsbury Hill ~ Peter Gabriel
    Where The Streets Have No Name – U2 (it starts with … “I want to run!”)

  6. Awesome song picks! Thanks a lot! My next “challenge” is to find as many songs as possible with the word ‘run’ in them. Yay!

  9. Heres some more I could think of, off the top of my head :

    Against The Wind (Bob Seger) – kind of fits your recent run 😉
    Run Baby Run (Sheryl Crow)
    Running Down A Dream (Tom Petty)
    Fox On The Run (Manfred Mann)

  12. Yay for you! Congrats!
    It doesn’t have the word run in it, but everytime U2’s “Desire” comes on my Ipod it really makes me want to keep going!
    Also love “On the Dark Side” by Beaver Brown Band. Was in Eddie and the Cruisers. Inspires me for some reason.
    Yeah, I know… I am a tad odd.

  13. Thank you, thank you! Thanks for the picks, too. I had completely forgotten about “desire” (kisa hates U2 for some odd reason)…I haven’t heard “on the dark side” in ages! I love that song! Yeah, you might be odd but that’s why I love ya! 😉

  14. Haa! Awww thanks 😉
    What is it about guys that they hate U2??? I know so many who do. Or perhaps they are jealous and just won’t fess up!? 🙂 Maybe it’s the sunglasses… *says she who lives in hers*
    I also have the song “Vertigo” in my work out line up. Something about the “Uno, dos, tres, cuatorce….” then the jammin’
    Glad you love “on the dark side” now that is a rockin’ song! I loved the movie too.

  15. I had never met anyone who hated U2 until kisa…and the odd thing is he can’t tell me why! Maybe it IS the shades…but, wait! Does that mean he secretly hates Corey Hart, too?! LOL

  19. it is not the shades—-sometimes, I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can, so I can….

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