Sunday

Two great things happened today:

1) It's official. I'm a homeowner. It truly sank in today. Bought a lawnmower.

2) I ran with T today. 10 miles. Her first time running double digits (and she did it under 2 hours). Really proud of her.

Not Bad

16 miles today in 2:46:59.

I didn't die, in fact actually felt pretty good.

So maybe my outlook for June 21 isn't as bleak as it was last weekend, but I'm sure that will change again.

Holy...

I just realized something. 60 days. Two months from today I'm running my first marathon. Starting to freak out a bit, especially after the craptastic run I had yesterday.

I was scheduled to do a long run of 16 miles with 12 of those miles being at my marathon pace (right around 9:00/mile). I thought everything was gonna go well, I had water, sunsreened myself up since I knew I'd be out there for awhile, ate a little something, even took some clif shot blocks with me.

What I failed to factor is was the following:
- I didn't start until almost 11 am
- I didn't realize that it was already 70F
- I failed to take enough water for how hot it was
- I neglected to put my phone in my camelbak

I finally pulled the plug on my run at 12 miles - I finished 10 of the 12 at pace (managed a 9:09 so not horrible) but I'd run out of water and I'd stopped sweating (my face was crusted with salt at that point). Thing is, I was 2 miles from home and had to walk it.

By the time I made it home I looked like warmed over shit. Felt nauseous. Drank some fluids, ate a little something once my stomach calmed down, and proceeded to lay in the floor under a fleece blanket. Finally took about an hour nap. When I woke up I felt like I'd been up all night drinking.

Needless to say, today is an off day.

I gotta do better or else I'm gonna get my ass handed to me in Duluth.

When You Least Expect It...

I had an interesting exchange with the AD yesterday. He'd just returned from the NAIA AD meeting and he'd run into the AD at the school were I was at for my first job out of grad school.

Mind you I was there from 1997-1999, a total of 18 months almost 10 full years ago:

AD: I ran into your guy "X" and he told me to tell you hello.
Me: Really, how is he?
AD: Doing good, he told me that they've got a new athletic trainer this year and that if he really thought about it, you were probably the best athletic trainer we had.

I was a bit shocked to say the least. I'm not sure if that means I did a great job or if all the people (who knows how many) that followed me were crappy.

I'm taking it as a compliment.

Stuck in My Head...

This song has been stuck in my head (in a good way) for a few weeks now.

"Until The End" Breaking Benjamin

Chorus strikes me...

Why give up?
Why give in?
It's not enough
It never is
So I will go on until the end

This is quickly becoming my mantra for my marathon training...I'm going to go on until the end.

Recommendations

I have two recommendations for you, one book and one movie.

The book: Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. It’s a great book, insightful and poignant as we get a glimpse into a year in the author’s life as she makes drastic changes in her life. I’m especially fond of the part of the book that takes place in India. I’ve recommended this book to a few friends and they have agreed with me that it is a very special book.

The movie: Once

WOW! Watched that last night…I was told it was a great movie after it was already in our netflix queue but man o’ man I had no idea is was that good! The soundtrack is pretty impressive as well!

Success?

Inertia -

1. inertness, esp. with regard to effort, motion, action, and the like; inactivity; sluggishness

March is finally gone. Normally I'm a big fan of March - March Madness, my parents birthdays, and let's not forget St. Patrick's Day - but this year with the house and everything else March seemed like a black hole that I wouldn't be able to escape.

So, starting yesterday with the arrival of April it was a chance to wipe the slate clean and get back on track. My goal this week is to get up and run in the morning. Yesterday it even worked out that I was able to put in a few miles with T.

Then today hit.

I. Did. Not. Want. To. Get. Out. Of. Bed. I managed to get up and get the coffee going to help T get out the door (she teaches early on Mondays and Wednesdays) but after she left I fired up the computer to make sure my workout was entered in my garmin and could feel the motivation to run slowly draining away.

Lazy-self: Damn that coffee smells good, you know you could have a cup and run this afternoon
Me: no, I won't have time
Lazy-self: come on, you can feel your stomach growling! Let's eat breakfast.
Me: No. I need to run

So I forced myself out of the chair to get ready for my run. I wasn't happy starting out on my run, but I was really glad I did it.

The nice thing about inertia? Every time you over come it, it's easier to beat the next time.