11.89 Miles and the Countdown is ON!

At the conclusion of my last post, I pledged to run 5 or 6 miles on Friday (didn't happen) and 11 or 12 on the weekend (proud to report that I did run said miles).

Friday evenings are always difficult for me to run. I'll admit it - my mind is not in the game. It's nowhere near the game. At 4:30pm (every Friday), I sit at work, watch the clock, wait for 5:01, and I'm out the door heading straight to the co-op to pick up Emelyn. We then rush home to meet Greg and have some good old fashioned family fun. Running just isn't a priority on Friday, unless I can fit it in during the day, which almost never happens. This particular Friday varied only in that we rushed to the Friday Artwalk instead of back home, but you get the picture - no running!

After schlepping off Friday's run, I vowed to run Saturday while Emelyn napped. The day started innocently enough. We went to Gymnastics, then on to Saturday Market. Upon arriving back home, Greg put her down for a nap (which took about an hour!) while I was supposed to be getting ready to run and then, of course, go run. Instead of donning my running wear and trotting out of the house, I saw it more fit to lie down on the couch. I would continue in said location, in said position for not one, not two, but THREE HOURS. That's right. I took a three hour nap on Saturday. From 2pm-5pm, I slept with reckless abandon. I did wake from time to time to the sound of Greg being productive around the house, but otherwise, I remained comatose.

Now - you may think I was full of remorse and a healthy degree of paranoia when I woke. You may imagine that I experienced a tinge of fear when I realized what I had done (or not done rather). Perhaps you would conclude that I was stressed and angry with my slacker action. Well, I am somewhat ashamed to inform you that you would be wrong. I did not look back. In fact - I woke, went straight to the Market of Choice (fabulous grocery that is walking distance from my house) to get treats to put on the grill for dinner, as well as treats to create a tasty drink I read about in Imbibe magazine.

You may have some questions swarming through your mind for me: Was I in denial that I was supposed to run 11-12 miles the following day? Was I in denial that in 7 short days I'd be running a half marathon? Will I share the drink recipe that so appealed to me, that I consumed an alcoholic beverage (ok, I had two of them) the evening before a LONG run? The answers are yes, yes, and YES! Drink recipe at the end of this blog entry.

I will say that I did indeed do one thing properly on Saturday, and that was carbo-load. I consumed enough food to feed at least 4 people. We grilled steak and zucchini, mashed potatoes, and two drinks that contained two whole peaches EACH.

So, Sunday began with the traditional "Hungry-Man" breakfast of loads of good-for-you food. After breakfast, I ventured to the store with Emelyn to get some bratwurst to grill that evening and ended up having not one, but TWO (with buns) prior to my run, washed them down with a bowl of granola and yogurt. It's like I forget my head sometimes with this running thing. I think it's because I am so afraid to bonk that I just pretend I'm a garbage disposal. I don't know. Any of you who have the misfortune of working with me are aware of how much I lament about the worst side effect of all of this running: the weight I've gained. And gee - I wonder why I've not lost any weight and have in fact gained 5 pounds! Sure SOME of it may be muscle but five pounds is pretty steep!

Suffice it to say that I had enough energy rolling through my blood stream for this run, as well as water. I had hydrated quite well out of fear of those adult beverages from the evening prior. And I needed it - it was 77 degrees and humid (rare to be humid out here) when I left the house for my run at 3pm.

I certainly did not realize how warm it was before I left. I was wearing my knee length spandex and quickly realized that I should have worn shorts. I'd run past people who were wearing sweat pants with T-shirts and instantly felt ill for them. I wondered if my knee-length pants made others in shorts feel hot (and I DO mean sweaty) when I ran past them.

My loop was simple. Run to the bike path along the river. Head West. Cross the footbridge at Valley River, head east. Run all the way to the 1-5 foot bridge to Agate St, to 24th, to Hilyard to 29th to 27th. 11.89 miles. I'd like to take this moment to point out that 11.89 is practically 12 miles - especially when one factors in all of that weaving I did towards the end.

What a beautiful day, too. I will bring my camera with me during my next run along the river and post some photos for those of you who don't live here. After completion of my first 25 minutes where I stop frequently to massage my legs, I felt truly great. It was warm, but the water fountains were everywhere, and I was carrying water. I ate half a clif bar at the one hour mark and kept on trucking. LOADS of people were out training, too. It was fun to see so many runners, cyclists, families, couples, dogs - you name it - out and about.

I think this 12 (It was totally a legitimate 12) was my best run yet. My knees did feel sore after about 10 miles, but they weren't awful. I am sore as I write this and was especially sore Monday morning, but I tell you what - All things considered - I am ready for this half marathon.

Tomorrow is a big day for me. I will log on to the Marine Corps Marathon website and register at 9am. I hope to get a slot - it's first come, first serve, so I have a feeling that it could be somewhat jammed when the gates open, but I'll keep trying. Better to register BEFORE I do the half marathon this weekend and get freaked out waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting (oh.my.god.she is still RUNNING) for Tia to finish the Marathon this Sunday!

I'll try to post my pre-race thoughts on Friday or Saturday. I'll run three miles tomorrow, two miles on Thursday, light cross training on Friday (I did light cross training today, too) and then rest all day Saturday.

As Promised: Sweet Peach

2 Fresh Peaches
1 oz Grand Marnier or GranGala
1 Fresh Lime
3 tsp raw sugar
2 oz Vodka

Muddle peaches, Grand Marnier, Lime Juice and Sugar in a shaker. Add Vodka and ice, shake, strain into cocktail glass.