Oh where, Oh where?

Well, This is turning out to be quite the short little blog.

Curses!

Curses I tell you! My husband has been sent back into the ranks and has been gone for three weeks.

Training for a Marathon is not for the faint, the weak, or the women without their childrens' father.

I HATE the treadmill, although it has been easier than before. I actually made it 12.5 miles the other day. I was supposed to run 16 miles, but after three hours I was done. Don't worry, I actually walked two of the miles while I chatted with Shane on the phone. My hip was screaming and I had spent my only 3 hours of peace for the day on a whiney torture device. I was done.

Only three more runs on the treadmill and hopefully we will be out of the woods and it can go about it's rightful duties as a coat rack.

Adding insult to injury. literally. My neighbor, who has been kindly donating her son as a babysitter while we run together, broke her toe.

She's out, and I'm so sad. It was so nice to have someone to run with and a nice young man to watch my kids and save me from that wretched machine in our basement.

I also wanted to have somone at the race who could calm my nerves and keep me focused.

Guess I'm on my own.

As far as my actual runs go. They have gone well. I shortened my long distance runs because my current schedule was killing me. And August was set to have 3-20 mile runs. THREE!!!! Too many! The way I have it now is more comfortable and more realistic. I DO have a family to take care of, even if a major player is out of the game for a while.

I can't believe it's almost August! I have a half Marathon in something like 4 weeks. I feel prepared for that one. I know I can run 13 miles. I've done it before. This Marathon though... It's like a distant dream, or some pending doom.

Or like having your first baby. Everyone can tell you how it's gonna be but until that baby makes it's way out of your body... There is no comparison.

And with that.... I say good night. Happy running :)

Race #2

Ah the freedom run.

I ran this race last year. My time was 57:18.... or something like that.

I believe I started training only one month before running it. So surely I could run it faster this year right? RIGHT?

I wasn't so sure. I feel so slow.

Last year, about 5 miles in I wanted to die. And the last mile is almost entirely up-hill. Mix that with a major need to use a bathroom I had to stop and walk. I hate it when I just HAVE to stop running. It's so hard to get started again and I see my time just exponentially rise before me. But I'm not the type to pee my pants and keep on running. Especially when I'm running a 9 minute mile. Even the bushes or a well placed port-a-potty are bellow ruining my time and walking for a bit.

**SIDE NOTE***Let's visit this potty issue for a minute. SERIOUSLY!!! As if having children, raising them, having no life, no money, stained clothes, stretched skin and no sleep wasn't enough. It has go and totally mess with your bladder. Even now, I have to be sure there is a potty every six miles or I'm in trouble. I feel so OLD! Old and slow. **back to the subject**

I know, time doesn't matter, but I'm a racer. A slow one, but a racer nonetheless. Even when I say time doesn't matter, it still matters. It's what keeps me going.

So anyway, I signed up again this year with the only goal of beating last years time.

How did it go?

Great! I managed to keep a 8:22 mile pace with a total time of 52:18. I was 31st in my division. 422 place out of 1233.

I feel a little better about my speed. At least I'm improving and all this running isn't for nothing. How cool would that be if I had that kind of pace in the marathon? (not counting on it)


Anyway, In true freedom run fashion, the shirts were useless and ugly. Of course, that's just my opinion but you would think they could get a decent shirt out there. It seemed to look best on the people with a little more meat. It just looked so misfitting on me I couldn't wear it. :(

Two races down, two to go.

It's going to be a long hot July and August.