The Commoner Goes For an Evening Run

I've whined to you before about how hard Marathon training is.  How it's the hardest thing I've ever done-and I'm old, I've done a lot of things.  This is hard and my brain was having trouble, so was my hip. You've heard it all before.  But this blog is not that -no sir ee.  This blog is about how things are looking better.

 So here it is Wednesday-the middle of the week and I'm faced with an  8 mile run.  There's no way I'm running 8 miles around my neighborhood.  That would make me crazy.  Coach Rob can't run 8 miles on his trail by work so we decided to meet at our trail in Morgan Hill after work and take on the 8 miles.

I really have been working on my mental attitude.  My hip is feeling better, my times are getting faster, this is crap.  I love running and all of my problems are in my head.

So despite that I never run at 5:30, it was really windy, and really hot I was going to have a good run.  8 miles means you run to the bridge-cross over it and come back. It's my favorite run!

 I did something I never have done-I ran in just a running bra.  Don't get me wrong it was my super Nike one which comes all the way down almost to my belly button.  But the men runners were going topless (not Rob-but all the others we saw) plus my fuel belt pretty much covered the mid section and oh yeah did I mention it was 85 degrees?

That's right! One layer-only that's not me

I had my water bottles, my gel guck (I really hate that stuff) and Chewy Sprees because I heard that candy can do what gel guck can do and I love them.  Unfortunately they are too big and made me thirstier.

 I may try skittles next time.

I made a deal with myself-if I just kept running, ignored the pace, I could stop at the half way point to wipe sweat and at the 2 mile to go point I could walk just a little bit -like a minute.  Deal I said?  Deal I said.  And off I went.

I walked a little longer than usual to warm up the hip and off I went.  And at the first split my time was pretty good!  Usually I've had to walk after it because I was out of sorts but I was doing good.

The trail was quiet, there weren't many people out so I had the whole lane to myself.  I told my self this is easy-to the over pass, to the model airplane field, to the lake to the bridge and my pace was great.

I realized a few things.  That I need to get rid of all the Pit Bull songs which keep popping up, Usher too, Break down by Tom Petty isn't adding anything and Start me Up by the Rolling Stones?  Done.

Sorry Mr. World Wide I can't any more

 Thanks to F.U.N and Macklewhoever for really helping me out.  Robin Thick you too and of course Jay Z.  Because he will kick my you know what if I give up.

There was a lot of wildlife.  A cute duck swimming by himself under the bridge -which had water!  As I came up to the finish I was greeted by a family of deer and a family of turkeys. (Go ahead name your favorite family you love to hate here).

When the pace lady came on my IPhone I would say-really?  That's nice-it had no affect on me either way.  It was just news.

So I felt a lot better.  I'm not saying it's easy because it's not it's hard.  I'm just saying that this week I slayed the mental dragon-I also decided my runs would consist of an 8 mile loop-I'm never going past the bridge-whatever it takes.