National Running Day

http://www.runningday.org/
So, next Wednesday, June 3rd, is National Running Day. I usually do not run on Wednesday, I work both jobs on Wednesday, however, in the true spirit of National Running Day I will wake up extra early and go out for a spin around my block...

Speaking of spins around the block, Cubbie and I decided to meet at Daffin Park and do 4.5 miles. This next statement will only be the beginning of a three month complaint...It was hot! Hot and Humid. So the themometer said it was 91 degrees when I got out of the car at 5:30, I know it will get worse before it gets better, but it was still hot. I loved every minute of it! I know, sounds wierd. Anyways, not much else to report...I need a nap....stupids cats....

Ten miles on Sunday! One foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

Head for the hills...

So I live in the "Low Country" of Georgia. We do not have hills. We do not have small rises or even bumps in the road...So in training for the hills (or mountains as I like to think of them) in this upcoming marathon I have got to find a way to get in some hill work. There is the Eugene Talmidge Memorial Bridge. 3/4 mile rise at 5.5%, that is a tough climb, but you have to share the road with semi-trucks and impatient commuters rushing to get home to catch the season finale of American Idol's Top Chef Survivor Real World Makeover Home Edition. So, the next best thing I have discovered is one of our many parking garages. Let me begin with this disclaimer; there is a big sign at the entrace of the State Street Parking Garage that says "No Pedestrians" Therefore what I am doing is probably wrong. Moving on. So, I warmed up with a 1.5 mile run amongst the many tourists milling aimlessly on Broughton St. Then a little streching and I tackled the .33 mile climb to the top of the parking garage. The best parking is taking the elevator back down to the bottom, hey, i am trying to get the repeats in quicker... Four total trips today:
3:36
3:30
3:25
3:28
Fairly consistant.
I ran back down the garage on the last rep and ran another mile cool down. Total workout time was about forty minutes. I would like to try and get this workout in once a week. Maybe alternate it with the bridge workout, when the traffic isn't that bad...I will keep at it. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

Still Raining...

So I woke up at six am and I had no desire to run today. I mean NO desire. It was raining, scratch that, it was pouring. No, Lets just say Mother Nature was really wanting to make sure that she made up for the drought conditions we have seen in the last few years. **Internal Debate** Looks like we don't run today Thomas. Wait, you say you like to run in the rain! I do, but not that kind of rain, my socks and shoes will get wet! My feet will be a mess. Cubbie will be so disappointed in you. Fine, Cubbie can find a new running partner, I am a Mets fan anyway.**

So I went back to sleep.

Chirp!

Chirp, Chirp!!

What is that noise? Birds? Don't they know it's raining?

It's not raining?

What...this means I have no excuse to not run?!?!

Crap!

Oh, and the dogs really need to go out, we took a short walk last night because of this plague being cast upon us...

So, I got my running clothes on and drove out to the Landings to meet Cubbie. Who was not there because she thought I was going to bail on her. (Do you think she can read my mind, or was it the text I sent her at 6:03am saying-This rain is killing me)

Then it started to rain again, light drizzle, not enough to cancel.

Then Cubbie showed up.

So we ran. It felt great. (I might need little windshield wipers for my glasses though)

We talked, the first six miles passed effortlessly...

Then the committee inside my head reconviened their meeting and began to discuss why the d-bag running the body has decided to put everyone through this rainy mess...

I told them to leave, but they didn't listen. So, out came the secret weapon...

DRA.

David Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams(for those not in the know, lol)

He is my favorite musican and his music has pulled me through many things, and today he pulled me through the last 20 minutes of this long run. I am grateful.

Cubbie asked me if I was happy that we ran today, I told her not until we finished. But that was not entirely true. I enjoyed the entire run, some parts more than others. I enjoyed checking my mental toughness. I enjoyed running in the rain, except for the really big puddles. I enjoyed talking with my running partner, who i hadn't seen since last Sunday.

I enjoyed the run because I felt alive.

Little known secret, last year at this time I could not run more than three minutes in a row without having to stop because I felt like my heart was going to explode. I started run/walking as part of out biggest loser contest at work...

Today I ran for an hour and twenty minutes, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

Rain, Rain, GO AWAY!!!

And don't come back another day....okay, so i don't really mean that, but when the frick did I move to Seattle??? I think is has rained every day for the past 7 or 8 days. I have been looking forward to running the Savannah Mile for months, I wake up this morning and it is pouring down rain....oh well, it is Spring, what can I expect?

Thanks for letting me vent...so last week Cubbie and I ran 8.5 miles with the Chicago Marathon training group. What an awesome workout. There were about 15-18 runners, of all different speeds. We ran out at the Landings, which was great by the way! 7:00am, 70 degrees, slight breeze, no traffic and we got to run along the marsh and the golf coures. We were only supposed to run 7 miles, cubbie pulled a fast one on me!?!? The convo went something like this..."Hey, do you want to run with the training group on Sunday?" Me-"Uh, sure, how far are they going?" Anti Christ-"Well, like 7 miles or something..." Knuckle Head-"Okay, that sounds like fun." Worst Running Partner Ever-"It might be 8 miles, I'm not really sure..." So we get there and meet Usman(sorry if I mispelled your name, you are awesome by the way!) and he says, "Okay, today we run for 1 hour forty minutes!" Cubbie just kinda smiles at me...Duped again!!!So we ran...and ran....and ran....did i mention we ran? But it was great! Well the first hour was great, then I ticked off ten minute blocks in my head all the while figuring out how i could dispose of my running partner without getting in trouble with the authorities... We actually finished at 1 hour thirty, so i really have no reason to complain, it was a great workout and most importantly, this is the longest i have run in several years!!! Thanks again to the wonderful people of the training group for allowing me to play along, oh and thanks to my soon to be ex-running partner for that little extra push to extend my long run....one foot in front of the other, one step at a time....

By the by, I have been following some bloggers work that I have found really inspiring...check them out.

Scott Dunlap
http://runtrails.blogspot.com

Amy Tarpley
member of Team POD (Pain of Discipline)
www.amysrunninglife.com