Marathon/Mid-fall Madness

Side Note: Go Zags! AP Top 10 (11th in Coaches Poll) Gonzaga beat UVA last night. Is it Morrison's mustache? Must be.

My legs hurt. Why am I doing this again? I started to ask this question at about mile 10 of my run this time, right before I had to do the jogging track two times and then run back home from there. I put the jogging track at the end because I knew seeing other people would give me some distraction from the pain...SOME distraction. I did see Tara and Kacey...about 3 times. Heading out from the house I thought this time would be different--the first few miles I was feeling really strong and couldn't contemplate feeling like crap...until midway through. It started to happen at about Sabine bridge. I stopped for a pee break at a port-a-potty and it was tough getting back going again. After that I swore not to stop unless I really had to...it was hard to get going again. Then I saw a couple guys on bikes on my way back to Shepherd...I SO wished I was on my bike. In fact, I might take my road bike out later today just to remember what it feels like and to have some kind of recovery workout. Then my run back along Memorial was okay...actually was able to shut out the pain. Then the loops in Memorial Park were just plain painful. My legs felt like the weekend before at the end of the Dare--like tree stumps. They were really stiff and didn't want to move. The pounding just were fatigueing my muscles. Even so, I was able to keep my training pace of about 9min/mile pretty much throughout the run. I started fast (sub-8) and kept telling myself to slow down. I am so glad I did, otherwise I would probably still be out there in a ditch somewhere, unconcious. On the final lap I kept telling myself "You're almost there, Farrow." But I knew I was lying to myself...I still had the ~3mi run back to the house. That was the worst part of it. It was just me out there in the darkened streets, hoping a car would just come over and end it already...at every intersection I wished there was a car to make me stop, but of course they never came this time. I kept running and running...Forrest Gump, I applaud you. I finally got to our gate and I stopped instantly. I thought it was funny because usually after a "hard" run I'm out of breath and the pain is in my chest, but almost always after these long runs my breathing is almost like when I'm sitting around--it was my legs that were screaming at me.

The best part was that I, being an idiot, did my run right before the Christmas parties last night. So right as I got home, I limped into the shower, hung out there for about half an hour, got dressed and headed out to Stan's. It retrospect, it would probably have been a crazy night for me if I skipped the run--I was so tired that I had to call it a night right after midnight, when everyone else was heading out to the Red Door. But, I know in my heart if I skipped the run, I would have been torn up this morning and there would be no way I would have done the run today...then I would have been in a deeper hole. So I think I made the right decision. Bu it was a fun night. A good crew of HART members hit Stan's party...and then I found out that Marc's birthday was yesterday and was having a party at our place...would have been nice if he gave me a little warning. Anyway, it was fun. Lawyers. I learned back in grad school that I can only hang with them for so long...then they keep going.

I got a lot of my shopping done yesterday...only have one person left...yes, Nick, that's who the titanium is for...won't say their name just in case. So there, now you know.