Sunday Long Run

Just walked in the house from running 12 miles this morning with my running group. I had a decent run with a 9:30 pace but my body is aching right now. I'm going to go eat a bottle of Advil and hop in the shower.

This is only the second time in my life I've ever made it 12 miles. The other time was during the actual half-marathon when I ran the 13.2. Next weekend is a 14-mile run which will set a new record for me.

I'm happy to see my time and strength improving, yet I have those moments (especially today, say around mile 10) where I think, "If 10 miles is this hard, how will I ever do 26.2? " Time is flying by and December 8th will be here before I know it. I know I'll be ready physically--it's getting my mental game in shape that I need to work on.

But for now--whoo-hoo! 12 miles! (Please God, send me a masseur.)

Dena

End Result

The result of the conference drama from Thursday's post is that Council voted to rescind our invitation to the speaker. Although what really happened, and the way we publicly explained it, is that we explained to the speaker what was happening within our group and the speaker graciously offered to step aside and we took him up on it. Whatever. We still caved.

I'm glad it's over. We posted a notice on Friday and there has been very little list-serv activity or comments on the decision. Long may it last.

My focus right now is on running. My group did a 10-mile run this morning in thick, enveloping humidity and I am weary to the bone. Not to mention wringing wet. I am not one of those charming Southern girls who don't sweat. You could use me to mop floors.

I did great the first 5 miles out then got a cramp in my side around mile 6 and ended up having to walk/run the last 3 miles.  Bummer. But our coach pointed out that while running in this sort of heat is never fun, it really helps because when we do our longer runs in the cooler fall weather, they're going to feel so much easier compared to what we're going through right now. I'll cling to that thought.

Meanwhile, my plans for the day include a shower, reading the paper, a long nap (perhaps two), 1-2 work on an article, grocery store, and that's it.  If I have to move much farther than from the couch to the kitchen, there better be a darn good reason why.

Enjoy your Sunday.

A New Obsession for the Anal-Retentive Runner

I just discovered the free running log on CoolRunning.com.  Now I'm obsessed. You log on daily to enter not only your miles and time run (for which it automatically converts into your mile-per-minute running pace), but also to catalog weather conditions, what shoes you wore (so you know when you've put enough miles on one pair that you're due for new ones), who you ran with, what type of run it was (training, interval, etc.), specifically what trail you ran, and a place for notes so you can record what you ate, how you felt, and whatever else may be of interest.

Each time you log on it gives you an updated report showing how many miles logged for the week/month/year and your average pace.

SUCH a dangerous tool to give to someone like myself. I swear, I'm well on my way to becoming one of those elderly adults charting my bowel movements and crowing over my success rate to the other nursing home residents.

Although actually, in the two weeks since I've discovered it, I find I'm making myself run just a bit longer and more often with the thought "I get to add this to my running journal!" pounding joyously in my head as I sweat off the last few miles.

Vanity, thy name is Dena.

(Hey--whatever works...)

Today's 5k

Running may be the one thing that can make me like math.

I ran a 5k this morning hosted by the GSO Police Department to benefit the NC Special Olympics. The first and only 5k I've ever run before was on July 4th, 2006. My time then was 28:57. My time today was 26:25--well under a 9 minute mile. Whoo-hoo! Here are the numbers:

• Mile One: Completed in 8:18
• Mile Two: Time was 17:46
• Final 1.2 Miles:  Ending time of 26.25
• Eaten: 1 Gu
• Number of times I peed in the two hours before the race: 3
• Entry Fee: $25, or almost $1 per minute (for a good cause though, so that's okay...)
• Number of skinny, short little 10 year-olds who finished ahead of me: Ahem, several...

I told Blair there was a little ten-year-old boy in front of me for the first mile and a half that I just could not catch. Blair looked at me knowingly. "You didn't let him get away, did you?

I smirked. "Smoked him on the first big hill."

"That's my girl."

I left before formal results were posted, i.e., what number you finished overall, how you placed in your age group, etc. All in all though, I feel good. I usually train at just under a 10-minute mile so this was quite a bit faster for me.

Never underestimate the power of the ego to make you run faster when elementary kids are whuppin' you.