Race for the Cure

Today I ran the Madison Komen Race for the Cure. Yeah, it was a bit crazy to run a 5K just 6 days after a marathon, but this race is always very important to me. My friend Tania, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 years ago today, has been working very hard on getting a big team together! We had almost 180 people on our team this year and raised loads of money for breast cancer research.

The weather was picture perfect and it was such a fun event. I wasn't sure what to expect given my circumstances. I ran hard, but did not "race" like I would a 5k. It was funny because much of the course was the same as the last few miles of the Madison Marathon. Deja vu. I ended up with 22:40. I believe that is a personal worst for me for the 5K, but it was a lot of fun. Upon finishing, I found my husband and we began looking for our boys and our babysitter. All of a sudden I see the boys come sprinting down the last .3 stretch! They did the 1 mile walk and apparently they were RACING. It was so darn cute. I jumped in and ran with our babysitter while the boys blazed ahead. It was awesome. We hung around for a while with our friends and then headed home. About half an hour later, Tania came over with a huge trophy. We had the largest team! It was awesome! I gave her a big hug and congratulated her for all of her hard work.

Here is to all of the survivors and victims of breast cancer!

The extended report

So here it is, the full Madison Marathon race report. I'm sure you have all been waiting with baited breath. :) This was my sixth marathon. I did not train for a big fat PR. In fact my training was pretty substandard and the only speedwork I did were the 4 sub-par races I ran this spring (5K, 20K, 8K, 20K). BUT, running had become so much a part of my life and I had been constantly training for some marathon or another during the last 2.5 years. I really MISSED not training. So when opportunity knocked and roots told me he was pacing the 3:50 group, why not?

As I mentioned in my previous posts, this weekend I was a bit rattled before the race. I wondered if I could do it. And by "do it" I knew I could finish. I just did not want some death march leading to a 4:30 marathon for me. And it was weird because since I did not train as hard, it was such an afterthought (if a thought at all) to most of my family and friends. But alas, at the end of the day, it was something very important to me and I was frankly somewhat scared going into it.

On my way to the race, I turned on "End of the Line" by the Yardbirds? I don't know, it is Tom Petty. I love that song. It's ALRIGHT ridin around in the breeze.... Then I cranked up some Queen Fat Bottomed Girls. I come flying down the road and see a deputy sitting on the side of the road pointing his radar gun at me. Dang! Not what I need this morning. Fortunately, he wasn't keen on giving me a ticket at that moment. GOOD OMEN! :) Next thing you know I was turning up toward the capitol square and saw swaths of runners. It was like an immediate adrenaline shot. Boy do I LOVE races. Especially marathons. I went up to my office, stashed my keys and used the restroom. A co-worker was in the bathroom with her sister - they were preparing to walk the half. It was fun to see them there. I then went down to the starting area and immediately ran into friends. This was my first local marathon - it is fun to know so many people pre-race.

I then lined up with the 3:50 group and said hi to roots. He was pretty animated and started talking to his group and asking them questions. There were 2 girls next to me who were lining up for their first marathon. I tried to encourage them and give out a little advice (i.e. take it nice and easy at the start, think of the first 20 as the first half, you'll finish strong and feel great)....Unfortunately one of them was taking it all negatively. I just told her to enjoy it and turned off. While I am typically pretty chatty, right before a race and during I shut off and do not really talk. It is time to focus and take it in. The race director commended everyone for their hard work and then played the National Anthem. I teared up. I was very happy to be there. Very fortunate indeed.

Next thing you know we were off. The first portion of the route was foreign territory to me, so it was fun. Mile 1 clicked off around an 8:25 pace. A bit fast, but there was a big downhill at the start. I accidentally hit stop instead of lap on my Garmin, so I missed all of mile 2. No biggie. I turned it back on and focused on assessing how I felt. At this time I had moved just ahead of the 3:50 group. I could still hear roots talking periodically, but I was out of the big crowd. This was good because in the first couple of miles people kept darting in front of me. I was feeling good. I had not worn my HRM and wondered at this time what my HR was. But I decided I was glad I did not know. :) The miles started clicking off at very steady 8:39-8:45 paces. We entered the Maple Bluff area and started passing some beautiful homes. The spectators were fun through this part. The most memorable was a woman cheering for us going through. She was saying, "great job, you look great, you are doing great, way to be!" It was the "way to be" that caught me. Yes, I enjoy being a runner. Thank you!!

The weather was perfect. Probably upper 50s, low 60s and overcast. Wind to our backs or maybe a slight cross-wind. The course had a few little rollers at this point, but nothing memorable. Except a runner in front of me briefly stopped to pick up a $50 bill someone must have dropped. Crazy. Around mile 10, we started getting to the University. My friend Anne had told me there was a big nasty hill on Gorham Street. I hit the hill and was thinking, "this isn't too bad." I get down it and BAM, there it is, the hill she must have been talking about. It was long and pretty tough. Then we turned onto Wisconsin Street and had another pretty significant, yet thankfully short hill. Roots and the 3:50 group were still right behind me as we hit mile 11. I was still feeling good, although the sun had noticeably come out and it was getting warmer. We ran down Langdon Street toward Observatory Hill. Observatory is a wicked hill followed by another pretty monsterous hill. Much to my delight, we completely skipped these hills and headed straight toward the dirt bike path. Well that was one sweet surprise! I hit a mile marker and the Garmin said it was a 9:16 mile. What? I know the hills took a little, but I did not feel like I had slowed that much... The bike path was quiet, but lovely. It was funny because there were several spectators, but they were just standing there. A runner in front of me kept prompting them to cheer, which I thought was funny. I then hit the next mile marker: 8:02. OK, obviously the markers were off because I had been pretty steady. I then saw my co-worker Jackie and her sister and yelled out to them and gave her a high 5, it was fun. We then turned toward the south and the wind was pretty heavy. It wasn't unbearable, but it caused me to do another status check to make sure my breathing was ok, etc. All systems were a go. We passed Camp Randall (UW football stadium) and the spectators were pretty fired up. It was cool. We then turned onto Monroe Street and some guys were handing out mini water bottles with sport tops. Genius. Thank you! There was a decent long hill, and then we started downhill toward the arboretum. A little girl (maybe 6?) had a table set up with princess cups full of water and a handmade sign. I told her she rocked and she beamed. It was awesome. As I approached the arb, I kept thinking about how I have NEVER had a good race in the arboretum. I decided then and there I was going to kick arboretum ass today. I was fired up. There is a decent hill to get there, then I turned in and was ready to make this my day. It was approximately mile 17. The beginning is downhill and I decided to pick up the pace, although very slightly. I started passing runners that clearly were loosing steam. I felt bad for each one of them, but was oh so happy I was feeling good. The arboretum was actually awesome - cloudy, green and beautiful. The little hills did not bother me one bit and I was gaining steam. As I was exiting the arboretum, there was a good crowd yelling enthusiastically. I was thrilled. I conquered the arb. At least in my own mind. :)

We ran through the zoo area and up an obnoxiously steep but short hill. We then hit the main roads again and I knew I was almost there. Another self-check. I felt good. Not fabulous, but really good. The winds had picked up and it had gotten significantly warmer. Or I had from running 3+ hours. I had begun dumping water on myself at aid stations and the body glide was wearing off. I could really feel the chafing on my arms. I also had to pee since about, well, before the race started and the last few miles, I really had to go. BUT, I held out 23 miles, what is another 5K? :) We then hit this crazy pedestrian walk bridge. It was actually a cruel joke on the part of the race directors in my opinion b/c you had to make some sharp turns, run up this steep bridge, then run down and equally steep side and make a sharp turn to the left. Whoever added that in needs their head examined. Couldn't have been even .1 but was a big pain in the arse. At this time I was really looking forward to the mile 25 aid station. Fleet Feet was sponsoring it and the owners are my friends. I could use a friendly face. I turned out by Wingra Bay and the wind was pretty wicked at this point. I hit the mile 24 marker and smiled big at the spectators. They told me I looked strong. I believed them. I can do this. Less than 1/2 a mile later was the Fleet Feet water stop. My friend Jessica was shocked when she saw me b/c I hadn't seen her for several weeks and she didn't know I was running. It was fun to see her and have a boisterous cheering section. The last 2 miles were really windy and somewhat mentally challenging. You could hear the finish line crowd, but it was nowhere in sight. I saw Jackie again and yelled out to her and high fived her again. I kept looking for the 26 mile marker, but apparently there wasn't one. I saw the 13 mile marker and then knew there was only .1 left as I rounded a corner. I turned on the afterburners and finished pretty strong. I saw my husband and 2 boys just before the finish. I always think it is amazing that in crowded finish areas I am always able to pick out my husband's voice. I flashed them a big smile and crossed the finish line with my trademark cheesy celebration. It was awesome.

I found my checked bag and immediately changed my shoes. My feet definitely took one for the team. I took off the shoes and 2 toes were already black. Nice. But the woman next to me had red bloody toes. Ouch. I am glad I used body glide liberally. As I was walking out, I heard the announcer call rootsrunner and the 3:50 group - just seconds before the 3:50 mark. Nice job. I then ran into some old high school friends. It was nice to see them, but really weird right after running a marathon! I found my boys and we ran around brat fest, had a couple beers and watched the kids go on a variety of rides and eat cotton candy.

My official time was 3:46:07. People have approached me cautiously to see if I am happy with my time. I am absolutely thrilled. I had not planned to run a marathon this spring. But boy did I miss training and being a runner. I learned I can do it all. Maybe not to the extent I did last year, but yeah, I can handle this and enjoy it without sacrificing a thing. It was a big day. A big accomplishment and I am VERY happy with every bit of it (although my toes are still pissed off). If you made it this far in the race report, thanks.

Splits:

First 3 miles: 17:10 (I lost the second mile)
4: 8:53
5: 8:36
6: 8:39
7: 8:50
8: 8:29
9: 8:36
10: 8:39
11: 9:00
12: 9:16
13: 8:02
14: 8:39
15: 8:44
16: 8:30
17: 8:42
18: 8:49
19: 8:18
20: 8:23
21: 8:21
22: 8:35
23: 8:34
24 + 25: 17:08
last 1.2: 10:11

Number 6 is in the books.

No Wall and a Big Fat Smile!

Finishing time = 3:46:07. I missed my BQ by 8 seconds! Crazy! Had I known I was that close I would have definitely pushed it, but I accidentally turned off my Garmin at mile 2 and was just winging it from there! Lucky for me I was a fast one last fall, so I am already in!

Today was a great race. The weather was great. OK, a bit warm for a marathon and the last few miles were very windy, but it was a really fun time for me.

I got in my car on the way to the race and was a bit freaked out about what lie ahead. So I had to have a little talk with myself, if you will. Going into a marathon with self-doubt is not going to do anyone any good. Fix the attitude or don't bother toeing the line. So I made some mental adjustments, cranked some fun tunes and got in the mood to race. As I turned toward my building by the capital square and saw all the runners, I was pumped. So it was a good start and a very fun race.

I decided to nix the HRM. While the data would have been cool, I didn't need any extra anything to cause me to worry. So I decided to just go by feel - not some prescribed number (finish time, pace or heart rate). It was a good decision.

I ran with roots most of the time (or just in front of the 3:50) - the group was a bit too big for me to get enmeshed in as I am not a big fan of dodge and weave. Roots also did awesome and finished within seconds of the 3:50 goal.

I finished strong, felt good and was so glad I did it. :) Thanks to you all for the support!

Oh yes, and my son ran the kids run and did awesome. And he lost his first tooth today. Celebrations abound.

OH YEAH! A 2+ minute negative split. Very good for my soul. (Not so much the soles - this was a hilly course and my feet are rocked).

Here goes nothing!

Wow - I cannot believe I am running the Madison Marathon today! I must admit I am a WEE BIT nervous about the whole situation. OK, maybe more than a wee bit. :) Have I trained enough? I keep telling myself I will be fine. I plan to run with the 3:50 group. My first marathon was a 3:53 off less training. I can DO this.

I met rootsrunner and sistergoldenhair yesterday. What nice people! It was a real joy to meet them. I had a nice run with roots, then we all grabbed lunch and sat outside the state capital and enjoyed our lunch in perfect Wisconsin weather.

The weather forecast has been very iffy during the last week. First it looked like it was going to be very warm - 60s at start, 80 at finish. Then it looked like it would be slightly cooler, but thunderstorms with very high winds and hail. Now (at 5:00 am, 2 hours before the start), the birds are chirping and the sky is crystal clear. The projected high at 11:00 is mid-60s, with the thunderstorms holding off until the afternoon. So it looks like it may be a really good day for a race.

My main concern is that I still have not completely shaken this nasty head cold - although it is much better. My HR is up quite a few beats. Hopefully the good sleep I have gotten the last couple of nights will help.

This is my first marathon where I did not stay in a hotel the night before. Sleeping in my own bed was a real positive. As was getting up and having my coffee ready to go. But I did find some negatives to staying local. When you travel for a race, the race is the focus for the weekend. I found I thrive on that. Getting focused is really good. Staying local it seems everyone around me forgot I was racing this weekend and that it WAS a big deal to me even though I had not trained like mad for a PR. That can be difficult. While I admittedly quite haphazardly decided to run and "train" for this race, the last few days leading up to the race were just as nerve-racking as any other marathon I have run. In some sense even more so since I do not feel as prepared as I usually do.

But enough on that. The truth is race weekend is very personal and especially after it gets to be commonplace, you can't expect others to feel it too. And I actually feel quite selfish for allowing the marathon to consume me this weekend. But it is what it is. I feel good this morning and despite my nerves, I am excited! Today, I race! Yay! I really did not think I would pull a marathon off this spring.

My official "plan" is to run with the 3:50 group. If I feel good around the half, I will pick it up. If not, I will just stick with them the entire route. I was thinking earlier in the week that I may go for a faster pace, but looking at my HR this week, that seems like a dumb move on my part. I am thinking a 3:45 at the end of the day would be fun (my BQ for 2009). I am already qualified for 09 with a 3:26, but a BQ always feels good, right?! ;) All in all, it is all somewhat unknown, so I am going to try to go with it and see what the day brings. Best case scenario will be a really fun race, no matter the time. Key goal = no wall and a smile at the finish.

I'll report back later. Thanks so much for all of the well wishes!!

One week until Mad City Marathon

One week to go! Yikes!

Here is my week in review:

M&T - Nada - I was a complete slave to work (think billing by 6:00 am, not leaving until after 1:00 am, repeat). Crazy.
W - 8 (9:21)
R - rest
F - 5.64 (9:27)
Sa - 4.9 (9:25)
Su - 12.1 (8:45)

Total: 30.7 miles

Now I rest, recover and hope for good weather Sunday!

100 things about me!

I loved this post on runnin-from-the-law's page, and many were eerily accurate, so I thought I would give my spin.....

100 Things About Me

1) RED is my favorite color.
2) I sucked my thumb until college. It drove my parents crazy. And gosh that is embarassing to admit "outloud." But it is what is is and I ended up ok. Although I made my mom crazy. Understandably. WTF?!? Amazingly, neither of my kids ever sucked their thumbs or took pacifiers. That was a blessing and a curse.
3) I was a criminology major, but can’t stomach the idea of criminal law. I interned with the Federal Public Defender (which is the "soft" stuff - bank robberies, cocaine, etc.). Still, I could not do that every day. I am too much of an optimist. Too much knowledge of the really horrible sh!t can break you down too fast.
4) My kids are 18 months apart in age – but two grades apart.
5) My real hair color is light brown. But I like adding "sun-in" every couple of weeks to keep the folicles blonde - my hairdresser is horrified and at the same time amazed.
6) I was a stay-at-home mom for more than 6 years. It was amazingly difficult and amazingly precious.
7) My husband and I met in law school - we went to FL law, but both showed up in FSU gear (big tabbou near the swamp).
8) My husband and I first became best friends, then officially "kissed" (after watching Princess Bride actually) 5 or 6 months later. Our first kiss also included our first declaration of "I love you." We both meant it wholeheartedly.
9) I have my belly button pierced, but no longer wear any ornamentation - pregnancy will induce you to take it out - after many months, the option is repierce or let it lie. I have let it lie.
10) I can drink a boot really fast. If you ever want to know what a boot is, go to Essen Haus. It is not for the faint-hearted however. It you like German beer and the polka, you are set.
11) My maiden name is Gile.
12) My german teacher ridiculed me over my maiden name and called me "gille" which means "horny" in German. Some teachers really should be terminated.
13) I love playing bridge.
14) Because no one under 80 knows how to play bridge anymore (which is a tragedy in itself), I settle for euchre.
15) My favorite number is 45.
16) My eyesite (farsite?) is going to the birds after staring at my computer and documents all day.
17) I HATE beets. Don't get me started.
18) My first job was being a dishwasher at 14.
19) It sucked.
20) I do know how to drive a stick and was a crazy woman when I learned.
21) High speed bumper tap as a teenager? Yep, did it? Gosh I am glad I lived. Teenagers are missing half of their brain.
22) I have never broken any bones.
22) I have an older sister. She is awesome.
23) My high school had a grauduating class of 36 students.
24) I went to college at UW-Madison for 2 years.
25) I then transferred to FSU and graduated in 2006 (because I was still stuck in small town USA, which I now enjoy, but at the time, was SO not what I was looking for). I knew NO ONE there. It was crazy. A bit dumb. But overall, made me who I am.
26) I went to law school in Florida.
27) I was planning to go to the San Fransisco area for law school until 2 months before law school started.
28) So did my soon-to-be-husband.
29) We both, on a whim, ended up in FL.
30) The rest, we can say, is history.
31) I am chlostrophobic (sp?)
32) I ran track in highschool. High hurdles. I sucked., I quit after my freshman year.
33) I ran the 110 and 440 HH, 400 meter and 800 meter.
34) I was embarrassed b/c I clearly was not "good enough" for the team.
35) I hope to run my sixth and seventh marathon this year.
36) I thought I would relax since I started a new job and NOT train.
37) But then I realized running was part of me. If I can, I will.
38) I love cheese - particularly extra sharp cheddar.
39) I love wine, particularly red zinfindels.
40) I treasure good friends. There is nothing better than someone who cares just because they do.
41) I love to work hard, but I love to come home to someone who can give me a hug every day more.
42) I used to have an eating disorder in high school.
43) Thank God I do not anymore.
44) I enjoy serving as a mentor to young girls that you can be stong, healthy, successful and beautiful without having to sacrifice ANYTHING.
45) I have been to Mexico.
46) I am not a patient person.
47) My favorite season is Summer.
48) I am a Leo.
49) My hands are always freezing cold in the winter.
50) I prefer red wine.
51) I look forward to my coffee every morning.
50) I prefer Folgers. Fancy coffee is WAY overrated.
51) I am a kick-butt attorney.
52) I am very organized.
56) I love getting into my "comfortable clothes" every night.
57) Despite how glamorous they are on Victoria's Secret, bras (no matter who makes them) are insanely incomfortable. Sexy? Maybe. But the first thing to come off once home.
58) I go to bed early.
58) I am reluctantly beginning to admit to being a morning person.
59) I never used to be a morning person.
60) My husband is by far my best friend.
61) I now have a blog.
62) I used to golf (although I was terrible).
63) Now I would rather do anything BUT golf.
64) I have been married almost 10 years.
65) My husband is in a rock band, so with full legal sufficiency, I can state that he rocks! :)
66) My son is just like me.
67) My other son is just like me.
68) They are also just like my husband.
69) They are competitive, driven, smart, and I hope they chill out a bit, even though I never did (nor did my husband).
70) My oldest son looks like my clone, only male and with dimples.
71) I look like my mom.
70) I am 5 feet 5 inches tall.
71) My feet are wrecked with the new stockings/tight-toed heels thing + running.
72) It is a BIG concern of mine how wrecked my feet are.
73) I am glad that is one of my biggest worries.
77) I switched religions when I married my husband.
78) I love looking at the ocean and hearing the ocean.
79) But I don’t like swimming in the ocean.
80) I LOVE seafood.
81) I love reading.
82) My favorite author is Jodi Picoult.
83) I LOVE dogs. But they are like having a child. So no dogs in my near future.
84) I miss my dog, Malarchie, a beautiful Weimaraner. Losing her was a heartbreaker.
85) I am SO happy to be doing nothing more than blogging. This week has been hectic.
86) I got published this week and 3 other places picked it up based on the "buzz". I recieved a big nod. Good for my career. YAY! I was not a waste of my time.
87) I am on the board of a non-profit company that provides invaluable benefits to adults with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries.
88) My aunt, who is 6 months older than me, has down's syndrome. She is fabulous. Watch any down-syndrome person and observe their innnate happiness. If only the scientists could pinpoint why - there is nothing more awe-inspiring than a truly happy person. If you don't believe me, check it out.
89) I love watching Grey's Anatomy.
90) This season has been a big downer though.
91) I read perezhilton.com to get a comical relief from the real world from time to time.
92) And that is embarrasing.
93) I love to run. I LOVE to run long. I LOVE to race. And runners are an awesome group as a whole.
94) I miss my husband because he is gone tonight. And tomorrow night. And Monday.
95) He is my superstar.
96) But he is helping his Mom in a rough spot. He is a great man.
97) I am very lucky.
98) Thanks for reading.
99) I treasure all of my friends.
100) I am one lucky girl (how does it hurt to reitterate?)

I suck at Scrabble.

But I like it. Joe+ and Salty have provided me some much needed breaks this week - THANKS!! Keep the challenges coming!

Mission impossible: rest this weekend and CATCH up. I have been exhausted and HR is through the roof. No way I can run Madison unless I catch up some this week. It will happen.

The cool thing about being a parent

Lots of times babies cry, toddlers flip out at exactly the inopportune moment and little boys have a mouth that can't quit as far as sass goes. I can't go further than that because my oldest child is 6.5 years old. So that is my universe.

BUT, tonight, after e-mailing my dear friend who lost her baby a few months ago...I went upstairs to get ready for bed. Decided I needed a glass of H20, and as I walked out the door saw a post-it note my 6.5 year old put on my door tonight during bedtime saying "I love you Mom and Dad." My boys have been into post-it notes lately at bedtime. Usually it is about pokemon or darth vader. Today, it was I love you.

Honestly, does life get better than that?!?! I am very loved, I deeply love and I am thankful. Yes, I am cheesy, but life is quite good and I like to give a nod when that is the case.

It was a really good day.

Scary Baby feet and Scrabulous whoopins

Yes, that is my week to report. Joe+ kicked my ass in scrabulous 2x. Fun game. Salty kicked it once. So any of you novices want to challenge me, I'm in!

This week has been very very good. Work is busy, but I am calm with it. For those of you that may practice law and understand that comment, yeah! A good week. I published an article and received a very positive response. I initially published it in our firm newsletter, but 2 other outside sources contacted me requesting to publish it. My "hectic" case has chilled. It is only temporary, but I will take it while I can. I also had some fun new matters come in too.

Madison Marathon is on! Heh. Not sure of the goal as of yet. It will likely depend on the weather report 3 days out.

Sorry for being delinquent on the blogs I normally frequent. I have missed ya'll and will check in this weekend. That is the downside to hectic work..... I still have no idea what the hell actually happened with the China earthquake. Crazy stuff!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all moms and moms-to-be! I have had a great Mother's Day. My boys showered me with gifts (art projects made at school, lots of fabulous drawings and some fruit stripe gum). Best of all, I got to sleep in and run long - two of my favorite things! I literally did not get out of bed until almost 10:00 am. And I ran 18 miles this afternoon. It was hard to get motivated because it was SUPER windy (15-30 mph sustained!), but once I got out there I was glad I did.

Now I am contemplating what my upcoming taper should look like. It is hard to taper when you don't really train! But I know I need to... So I have revised my schedule to be around 30 miles next week. We'll see. I decided to run long again this weekend just so I could get more time on my feet. My long runs in prep for this have only been 15, 16, 20, 15 and 18 (in that order). My focus during the next 2 weeks is nutrition/hydration and getting more rest. I have gotten used to less sleep, but I think I need to start going to bed a little earlier if I want to see some decent running this summer.

Here was my week this week:

M - 3.74 recovery (9:25)
T - 5.68 (8:44)
W - rest
R - 5.65 (9:35)
F - rest
Sa - 8.11 (9:33)
Su - 18 (9:08 - last mile fastest again even though it was the hardest with the wind)

Total: 41.2

I was busy at work, but not nearly as crazy as the week before. Our big news was that my hubby was voted into the partnership of his firm. It was a bit nerve-racking because he knew that just over half of the people that were up for it were going to make it. But on Thursday he was told his bid was a "no-brainer" and they were happy to have him on board. I am so proud of him.

Thanks to everyone that did their memoirs - very entertaining.

Congrats to Salty on hearing Peanut's heart beat.

Congrats Greg on an excellent race last weekend.

Congrats Joe+ on schooling me in scrabble. Rematch?

Kel tagged me . . .

Every day we define ourselves.

Not six words, but for once I am being succinct. :) Kel, I loved your memoir. Great one.

I hereby tag Salty, Joe+, Aharmer, Tusca, Greg and Adeel.

This week has been rough. I have been very busy and very stressed at work. Wednesday alone I logged 17 billable hours. End is not quite in sight, but I know it will get finished. Ack.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were non-running days (see above). It just about made me crazy.

Thursday I logged 10 in the am. I was so tired it was literally a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. It was honestly the most perfect running weather. I did take note of that several times and was thankful.

Friday am I logged just under 4. Again, one foot in front of the other. Beautiful morning.

This morning I ran the Lake Monona 20K. It is an awesome race. I ran it once before in 2006. I was dog tired, but determined to get my butt out there. I got a 2.5 mile warm-up, then ran the race. PERFECT running conditions. It was overcast, 50 and some wind. There were a couple spots where the wind was brutal, but for the most part it was welcome. Unfortunately by mile 8 I just wanted to stop. I was stitchy and tired and kind of miserable. Not good. But I finished at 1:40 and despite having a nasty stitch I finished strong and caught a couple of ladies just before the finish. Hey, it may not have been a great race, but I can still take a few names at the end. :)

My friend Anne and I enjoyed a beer at the finish even though it was only 10:45 am. Very funny. Tonight I am going to go listen to my husband's band. I really am too tired for that, but I know if I will stay home I will get sucked into my work. And I REFUSE to work today. Tomorrow, ok. Today, NO.

Good luck tomorrow Greg.