Retro pic: thankfully, my race pics got better

I posted last about spicing up my running routine, but I didn't really do that this week, oops!  I ran 7 miles on Monday, 7 miles on Wednesday, and 13.5 miles on Saturday.  I was off Monday, worked 11 hours Tuesday, and 11 hours Wednesday.  Needless to say, I was pretty beat around 5:30 on Wednesday evening, but there was still plenty of daylight and I had my bag all packed to run.

After a quick change in the parking lot with a sheriff car parked nearby , I decided I would just play the mileage by ear.  I'd run to the 2 mile mark and decide if I wanted to keep going or turn around.  My legs definitely felt the fatigue of being on them for 2 11-hour days, but I was determined to push through the initial soreness.  Once I got to the 1.5 mile mark, I decided I felt good enough to do my 'usual' 7-miler.  At the 3.5 mile mark/turnaround point, I was wishing I had just turned around at 2.  The last 3.5 miles were alternating thoughts of run faster and you'll get to the car faster and slow down--keep it easy.  I felt strong for finishing the run on such tired legs, but very relieved when I was done.  7:54, 8:00, 8:00, 7:48, 7:59, 7:47, 7:50

Thursday, I was achy all over my bottom half.  Being on my feet all day again helped me feel a bit stretched out, but I was in no shape to run happily.  So I decided I would just forgo Thursday and with Friday being date night, I would take a nice 48 hours off of running.

Friday night date night shenanigans:




I'm not sure I've ever blogged about the back story of date night (all the drinks make it fuzzy ).  Adam and I have been married for 4.5 years.  Adam's best friend is Jeff.  They have been friends since junior high and were living together when Adam and I started dating.  I kinda-sorta-don't-judge-me started living with staying over at their place not too long after we got serious.  And the 3 of us pretty much lived together for 4 years until Adam and I got engaged/bought a house (it was the same day--if you are really bored or want that back story you can read it here).  The 3 of us now get together every Friday night for date night.  Adam and I share dinner together 6 nights a week so it is fun to have Jeff (and sometimes a date) along for the ride.  Some people might think it's weird that 3 people go on date night, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Anyway, as my faithful bloggers know, I usually run well after tacos and tequila.  However, Saturday was not really the case.  And I even had new shoes (same style, just not trashed with 400 miles on them) to run in.





I was all ready to test out my ninja skills, but apparently, I just didn't have the mojo fully in me.  It wasn't a terrible run, but it wasn't great either.  The first few miles went by pretty unknowingly and I finished strong, but I didn't have my heart in the run.  'Tis okay.  I know they can't all be puppies and rainbows.  I don't have anything on the agenda racing-wise, so this is all just for kicks. Not quite sure when 13.5 miles became for kicks, but alas, it is.  Splits: 8:00, 8:01, 8:06, 8:08, 8:13, 8:14, 8:18, 8:26, 7:56, 7:57, 8:01, 8:11, 7:57, 3:56 (7:57 pace) for .50.

The front on my left shin is still acting funky, but not enough to keep me from running. It seems to hurt less the faster I go which is probably not a good way to deal with pain. I randomly use The Stick and foam roll when I notice it being extra sore, but I'm kind of terrible at that whole RICE business.

Today, I hosted Mother's Day lunch for my mom.  Normally, I'd love the opportunity to cook, but I kind of wanted to just relax and enjoy the weekend so I ordered ribs and sides from our local barbecue place.  Adam and I picked up growlers of beer and root beer from our local tap place on our way to see Iron Man 3 in IMAX last night (okay, it was really cool, I'll admit it...just don't tell Adam!!).  My mom and her boyfriend like beer as much as the kids so I thought it'd be fun.  In lieu of cooking, I baked and made a flourless chocolate cake, candied cherries, and a creme anglaise sauce. Yummers!

Flowers from the garden to decorate Mom's Day table:



Mom brought over a few boxes of stuff as she was clearing out our old childhood bedrooms.  She included this gem from my track days in high school:



I was a high school sophomore at the time and was invited to my first out of state relay because I lettered that year.  I ran a 4X800 relay and ran it on pure adrenaline--it was so exciting to be at this meet with big time runners.  The funny thing about my proudest last millennium running moment? My future husband happened to be a college student at the time at University of Florida at that same time. It's highly unlikely that we crossed paths during that weekend, but I like to think of my life in movie terms, so I pretend we might have!

Fortunately, my race pics have gotten cuter.  Here's one from this year: