Sunday Run!

First of all, congrats to all the ARA 20 milers today… you all totally kick ass! I can't wait to hear the race reports about how much you totally rocked it! La la la la…

I tabled my long weekend run until today due to my basketball comeback appearance yesterday and because I was experiencing first-hand why I should never drink sake again.

I looked at the weather reports last night for this morning- 65 degrees and RAIN (100% chance) Bleeech… I set my alarm for 6 AM with the high hopes of getting my miles in before the rain came. I felt like I was tossing and turning all night, having really strange dreams. I have finally pinpointed that this happens when I fall asleep with the TV on… usually with it on The Weather Channel, CNN Headline News, or Sportscenter. I need to figure out how the Sleep mode works on my TV. Digress….

Alarm goes off this morning. Snooze. Alarm. Snooze. Repeat about 27 times. I finally get up around 8:30 AM and look outside. Blue skies! (Cue me singing “Blue Skies” by Willie Nelson) Perfect. Those meteorologists are totally amateurs!!!

I get dressed and head out- it is pretty warm- I go with shorts and a tank top (white, by the way… this will be an important factoid later on in the story). I had decided to do just 9 miles today- realizing I still have 3 weeks til 3M.

I haven’t run in my neighborhood lately and I forgot how friendly and vocal people are when they see you are exercising. Most are walking at a snail’s pace with their dog(s) and either a) eating or b) talking on their cell phone. Several people along my route told me how great I was doing and they wish they could run too. It is funny how people just think I woke up one day and could run 13 miles. They always ask, “Well, isn’t running hard?!? I don’t think I could do it… I can barely run to end of my driveway without dying.” I try to tell them that when I started, I could not even jog half a mile without stopping and it takes time to work your way up. They usually turn their head at that time and mutter some other excuse. Oh well! I tried!

First five miles… the sky holds up but it looks like it is seriously clouding over. Suddenly, the sky falls. I debate- pack it in and head back? Or trek on? As if planned, “Eye of the Tiger” comes up on my MP3 shuffle. Da...da da da... da da daaaaaaaaa... I trek on!!! If Rocky can do it, so can I!

I am drenched.

I see a car pull up next to me. Someone shouts, “How much for an hour?” I look down and realize my shirt, which is pretty thin even when dry is completely soaked and I looked like I was trying out for the sorority wet t-shirt contest on college Spring Break '98 in Cancun (which of course is just speculation from what I heard, OK?) To make matters worse, the person yelling at me from the car was some dude I work with that I barely know. Weird.

Great. Now I am a running hooker. Before responding with my going hourly rate, I smile and wave and keep running… all the way to the 9 mile mark. Two big loops around my neighborhood. All in all, a pretty good run today. It was a nice change to run on my own… I sure like running with a group but it is great to have solo running time to think about things going on in life, at work, etc.

Weekly mileage- 24 miles… I am really happy with this. I am trying to step up my weekly mileage from my normal 15-20 mile weeks. Ba-bam!!

THREE WEEKS TIL 3M!!!!!!!!!