The other day, Marti DiPaola, my running partner, and I had to run 9 miles as part of our training program to gear up for the half marathon in Disney in January 2011.
I drove to Marti’s house, picked her up and we drove to Cedar Park in Wantagh, New York. There is a great running trail there that runs along the Wantagh Parkway. It goes over three bridges and ends at the Jones Beach Theater.
We got to Cedar Park within 20 minutes from the time I picked her up. We put on our gear and started walking toward the trail. (I’m still not sure how to dress in this weather!)
“Before we take off,” Marti said, “let’s go to the ladies’ room.”
We walked over to the bathrooms and noticed they were closed. So we couldn’t go. We started running instead.
The 1st mile was torture. The backs of my legs were burning. My shins also hurt and I kept feeling a clicking in my ankle. I could barely run the mile. When we past mile 1, I was still hurting. I thought the pain would ease up, but it didn’t. So, Marti and I stretched out for a few moments and then started to run again.
When I got to mile 3, I felt no pain.
“Are there any bathrooms along this route?” Marti asked me.
“No,” I said. “That’s the only bad thing about this trail. It’s absolutely beautiful here but there are no bathrooms and nowhere to get water.”
We ran a little further. “We can go to the bathroom down there,” I said as I pointed out at a private area.
Marti ran into the bushes and said, “When you go to the bathroom, make sure you squat very low.” When she finished, she got so tangled up in branches I didn’t think she would come out.
Article comments
1 - Lily Zajc
This story reminded me of every one of my long runs, especially the ones run in extreme cold. I ran with an expert marathoner, who used to wake me up at 6 am by throwing a small pebble at my 2nd story window. She was a master at finding hidden potty places, and effectively take care of business; whereas I'd run, uncomfortably, praying for a port-a-potty to magically appear like a mirage. Just some advice: it pays to get up early enough to eat lightly, have coffee, lay your clothes out the night before (I prefer layers, so you can remove if you're hot) and most definitely use the bathroom before you leave! Happy Running!
2 - Hilary Topper
Thanks for your comments and advice!