Tonight I performed in the Sunday matinee of Last of the Red Hot Lovers at the Pico Playhouse in Los Angeles. Great show. I went out with some friends to watch some MLB & NFL sports and had one beer and some nachos. Why is this important? Well I’m usually pretty good about my diet and nachos are def a “no-no” for me. Processed cheese microwaved, no doubt, on top of overly salted corn chips with layers of sour cream and grease.
So it was no surprise to me that by the time I made it back home to “The Valley” my stomach had a few things to say about those nachos. But all I could think of was going for a run.
You see I’m the second act of the play. Literally. During the first act, I am prepping and getting loose as if I were about to start a race. But during the 3rd act, I am reading this book called Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. Each night after I walk off stage I rush to the green room to chug some water, eat an apple and pick up this book while keeping an ear out for my cue to return to stage for curtain call.
I heard about this book about a year ago from the man who began CITY YOGA on Fairfax and Santa Monica blvd in West Hollywood. I took my first yoga class there in 2008 when I lived a 5min walk from the studio. I still go to this studio even though – on average – it takes me about 30mins in traffic to get there, and I live within a 5min walk from another studio. (I’m a Leo, we’re Loyal) His name is Anthony and he quite the inspirational yogi.
His 8:30am basics class began that morning as most do but as the class rolled on we became increasingly focused on the feet. He brought up these barefoot running shoes he was using and mentioned this book Born To Run. I retained the info but didn’t go any further than that, until the 2009 Irvine Mud Run.
The Irvine Mud Run is a 5k (3.2 mile) race over obstacles and mud pits. It’s pretty awesome. Without training for this event where I competed against some 150 women I placed 15th. Not bad for not training. However I became a little curious when I noticed that 4 of the 14 women ahead of me were wearing these strange little shoes that were like gloves for their feet.
After interrogating everyone I saw with these finger shoes for the next 6 months, I found out that my Mother – who happened to be in LA and in Anthony’s yoga class with me the day he recommended this book – had read and was mailing me Born To Run. Wow, I thought, this thing has been chasing me more than I’ve been chasing it. I don’t know what’s taking me so long. All signs point to TRY THE FUCKIN SHOES ASHLEY!
So I did. I cracked down and bought the VIBRAM KSO barefoot running shoes. The first day I ran in them, I was overwhelmed with the sensation that I was connected to the ground. That not only was I feeling everything I was doing it was as if some powerful numbing drug has worn off and the euphoria of human movement could settle in. I had them less than a month before I decided to run the Malibu Dirt Dash 5k Mud Run in them.
Everyone I spoke to say to take it slow, run half your normal distance, and give your legs and feet time to adjust. Well, I guess I am impatient. As I pushed away from my friends at the starting line and shouted my last idiotic jokes back to them I found myself at the front of the line standing next to another Vibram shoe runner. We bonded. The horn blew. And I blew him away. Out of 503 runners, male and female, 16yrs old – 60yrs old, I placed 53rd. For my new age group, 25-29, I placed 1st.
Was it me? Was it all the yoga? Was it the shoes? Was it this newfound connection I had to the earth? I believe that these shoes make me WANT to run. Something about being present, feeling, receiving that communication with the ground makes me want to run.
All through high school I lived and died by Puma. College – it was Nike. But no more. Thanks to the Vibrams, after a long morning of personal training some girlfriends, having an admin meeting, performing in the show, chowing down some greasy crunchy gooey nastiness, all I wanted to do was run. And this book (I’m only ½ way through and wish I was done writing this so I can go read more) is re-training me to run.
At 6:53pm, as the sunlight was almost completely gone from the Valley sky, I threw on my Vibrams and hit the roads in Studio City. In an attempt to apply what I had been reading about I spent the first 2mins recapping the few chapters I flew threw today.
The first thing I noticed right away was that I didn’t run on my toes. As I began to adjust my run I noticed two things. I noticed those nachos wanted out of my body and that this blissful feeling just pouring over me. By the time I had 1 mile down I don’t know if I was smiling at the idea of throwing up on the side of the road or because I felt so great otherwise. I was running on my toes and flying faster than I’ve ever run, without fatigue. The beginning of mile 2 took me across the “LA River” and east on Ventura blvd. I was booking. Maybe not by Marion Jones’ definition but definitely by Ashley Platz’ definition.
Turning north to head back to my place, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the Nachos were coming out one way or another, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t slow down. I had to run! Faster and Faster and Faster! I knew that once I saw my car I would have completed 3miles and I wanted to know how fast I was really going. In other words, no time to stop and blow chunks.
29.33 was my time at the Dirt Dash 3 weeks ago. Tonight I ran .3 miles less than the Dirt Dash, but I finished in 23.00. Was I doing the math wrong? Nope. I knocked 6 mins off of my time by changing the way I run.
Why tell this story? Why explain how I still want to celebrate and vomit and pass out…though due to running and not alcohol? Because I have to admit it. It’s time to fess up.
Dear my Nikes, I have been running with someone else. He supports me more than you will ever be able to. He allows me to feel the things I’m feeling and lets me be me. He may look funny to you and you may judge him, but those are all your own insecurities about how trendy and fashionable you’ve become. I don’t need you anymore. It’s over. By the time I post this on my blog you will be by the front door, but in a bag this time and headed to Goodwill and I will have already ordered another pair of my Vibrams specifically for running on pavement.
NIKE you can keep your cushions and your ankle rolling technology. I’m sticking with my own feet and the feeling of the earth underneath them.
Yours Truly,
A much faster Ashley Platz
PS for those still concerned I managed to not vomit those nachos.
