Running Arithmetic

1. Cement x (Long Run + Hills) = Very Sore Body

2. (Massive Snow Remnants + Long Run)/Minimal Sunscreen = Huge Sunburn

3. Long Run - Ability to Selfishly Lay Around All Day Afterward = Crabby Mommy

4. (Dislike of Pain x Fear of Distance) + 26.2 = Probability I May End Up Like Dire Tune at the Boston Finish Line

Yesterday's 12 mile run was pretty good. Because of the snow leftovers, I wasn't able to run on the nice soft, flat, gravel trails I prefer for my long runs...and I was relegated to the mean streets and hills. It wasn't actually too bad; I had to consciously slow myself down throughout the first half because I was feeling good and going faster than I wanted (trying to stay around 9:45 splits but kept finding myself at 9:00 pace) and I think running in the bike lane next to the traffic (next to, not in like some other morons I know) may have been to blame. It was hilly, but for some reason they weren't bothering me yesterday...well, for the first 9 miles, anyway. I even took the mile 2 zig-zaggy hill from the St. Patties 5K last month at about mile 7, and you know what? It didn't seem that big and definitly wasn't very hard. Didn't even get me winded! So either I have made a lot of progress in the last month, or the Venti Starbucks I had yesterday morning was laced with crack. (About a 50/50 call on that.)

Mile 9 I started to lose a little steam, so I had half the bag of Sharkies I brought with me. They did help, but then I finished off my water shortly thereafter and wished I'd brought more, seeing as the last 3 miles of the run was primarily uphill to get back home, and the sun was hot. But I pressed on, took a couple of 20-second walkbreaks, and made it. My legs were definitely more tired and sore than with the trail runs...and I really, really wished I could just lay on the couch for the rest of the evening. However, the kids needed to be fed, and hubs also did a long 14 mile run, so he was in no shape to be of much help. It was an early bedtime night for all of us.




And, finally, I would like to say that today Dire Tune basically solidified my every fear and excuse for not attempting a marathon before, with her astounding finish at Boston...followed by utter collapse. The thought that this is the way I might finish off any marathon I attempted is what kept me from doing it for so long, so it was not at ALL reassuring to see it happen to her. (Course, I think she probably has more justification, running that super-fast pace, as opposed to me at what will probably be about 10-minute miles. But anyway...)

It was an exciting race to watch and I was really, really wishing Kara G. would pull it out and get that win. She was still fun to watch race, though. Congrats to all of the Boston runners: can't wait to read your race reports!