I've gotten to make my fair share of visits to the old work bathroom today because I have been drinking about 3 times as much water as I usually do - and I usually drink water steadily throughout the day. You see, I am running my first road race tomorrow morning, and I like to make sure I am prepared. "But Jenn," you may be saying, "It's only a 10K - you can run that easy!" (In fact, a friend said pretty much that to me today at lunch. In between describing her recent climb of Mount Hood - which starts with 7 miles straight up in freezing temperatures and life threatening conditions. And then you have to get down hill before the sun gets to high and it's even harder plus you're tired and your legs are shaking from the strain. But not her legs! Hers were fine! I hate her.) So I know to all you marathoners and half-marathoners - and let's face it - even most of you so called "casual runners" 6.2 miles is a breeze. And here's my first problem - is a 10K 6.2 miles? That sounds kind of familiar, but I don't really know. This is not something that has ever concerned me before. Remember when I did boot camp? One day I ran about 5.5 miles in the boot camp "fast group", and THAT was pretty much a miracle of an occasion. And I hated every second of it. But I made it. And two days later my body found it necessary to sleep for an entire day. I don't think that's a good sign.
It was at around this time that I signed up for the race with my friend, Lob. By the time I got to my second month of boot camp, the work outs seemed fairly easy. And then it ended. And then I... took a break? And then I got a beast of a stomach virus from a 2 year old, and it was all down hill from there. Because the next time I tried to run, I couldn't. And the next time after that... oh, I'm sorry, did I say that there was a next time after that? hmm.
The thing is, I would be completely happy walking this whole freakin' thing and coming in dead last. They can take the barriers down, the traffic can resume, and I can still be walking - I don't care. But Lob. Lob is a different story. Lob is a woman who never loses, and Lob says we are to NEVER STOP RUNNING. And I try to tell Lob that I am not in condition to run that distance, and she says she isn't either but that we can do it together. mmhm. Anyone who knows Lob knows what I'm thinking about. "Oh, I messed up horribly on that test!" A week later: "Oh, I got a 100. Well, I did miss one point - it's just that I got the extra credit." That woman has been training, and we both know it. I suggested to her that she might be happier running with my climbing friend with the legs of steel, or that perhaps we could throw some water on our faces, and jog up to the t-shirt tent and just pretend we had run over 6 miles. I believe her response was: "Don't even think about it. We are in this together, bitch."
Which is why I believe I may die tomorrow. Or at least have my first true fainting experience.
But now that it's imminent, I'm doing my best to prepare! Like by drinking water! And not going running yesterday because I wouldn't want to be sore! And the race information has other things for me to think about, like eating carbs (check - fruit for breakfast and pasta and bread for lunch) and getting acclimated to heat (check - went to New Orleans last weekend - slowly walked around and felt like the sun was sucking the life force out of me). So, it's good that I got those covered!
As for other things I have been doing lately? They have consisted largely of sitting in cars/airplanes/sofas and eating that delicious chocolate cake mentioned in the previous post. (duty called.) And also sitting at some restaurants and eating. And then there was my final weekend of preparation a few days ago, which looked like a whole lotta this:
which can only be topped off with late night beignets here:
Meanwhile, Lob was doing practice runs and taking notes on which kind of socks were best worn, and to what degree a watch bothers her.
I think that this can only go well.
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