Seven and a half miles

What was I thinking?  I must be really losing it.

See, my buddy SQ has been encouraging me to join him at one of the marathons around here this Spring, not to run the whole thing, but one of the accompanying shorter races, like a 10K (since I've already done two 5Ks, and survived.)

So the one he recommended was this one.  Picturesque, brand new, full tech support (like the RFID chip they clip to your laces which keeps track of your splits.)   

It turns out that they stretched the 10K into a 12K. (Why in the world they picked that distance, I can't fathom. It isn't even a quarter-marathon or some other sensible interval.)

But I thought, gee whiz! I had better be sure that I can actually GO that far before I pay the $45 to sign up, right?

So yesterday was the day. I managed to run a 5K in 31:30, about 2 minutes too slow, but still the first 5K I've run since surgery, so ... yay for me! :) Then I thought I would just keep going, walking as needed.

I needed.

For the next mile & a half I walked one lap, ran 4, walked one, ran 4. The next mile and a half it was walk 2, run 3, walk 2, run 3. For the rest it was run when you think you can. :) And I could, here and there. All told, not a good time; about 10 minutes longer than I would ultimately like, but for never having done it before... just fine!

I proved to myself that I could do 12K (7.4 miles). And I'm not dead! Nor did I leave any appendages behind. Yes, everything hurts, but I can still walk. So later when back home, sitting in front of the fan, naked and dripping (don't dwell on that image), I registered online. :)

You go, me.

While I was at the track, a 40ish woman started running after I did my first 5K, and was consistently lapping me. Grrr... so afterwards I asked her for some training tips. She's training for a 10K, and recommended a website with some good progressive iPod mixes. Actually, she hated the music, "all this electronic stuff and heavy beats. Ick.", she said. Cool. :)

And sure as shootin', they have training mixes for a 10K. Yay! I'm all over that.

7AM, May 24th. Stillwater. I'm there.



What a nutcase. What am I thinking?