Emerging from my Shame Cave

So I was a terrible, terrible marathoner-in-training last week. As a result, I didn't update my blog about training.  I went on a horrible run/walk recovery session on Monday - just heavy legs, hurting, mostly walked the whole thing.  And then I was busy after work on Tuesday, and by the time I got home it was after 830 and I just didn't want to do 6 miles, Wednesday I didn't get up to make it to the gym and Thursday it was just so nice to be home and relax.  Overall, just a wash of a training week.

Yesterday I did my long run, 10.5 miles in the rain and wind.  It was actually pretty awesome.  I felt like Charlotte in Wuthering Heights, stepping out to walk the moors.  The sky was cloudy, gusty winds, cool temps and rain (only heavy for a little while).  I realized that you get so sweaty running anyway, that unless its a torrential down pour, you don't really notice getting wet.  At least I didn't.  I sort of have to stop myself from waxing poetic here.  I spent a lot of my run having vision about running through the English countryside.

We did the Festival of Lights 5k on Saturday night.  We did this race last year as well.  It winds through historic San Marco, and the whole route is lit with luminaria, it goes along the river, and overall just really pretty.  This year's race however was really, really crowded.  Like the first mile was just bottleneck after bottleneck.  Overall it was fun though.  We found a Santa hat and reindeer antlers with bells at the Dollar Store, so we were appropriately attired.  I look forward to running it next year.  Also attached bells to the sneakers.  Several times I stopped walking to figure out where the ringing was coming from only to realize it was from the multiple bells affixed to my person.  I was a little out of it Saturday.

Things I've thought about in my last couple runs:

1.  I really appreciate when drivers make eye contact with you when you are crossing the street or in any other ways around their vehicle.
2.  I don't appreciate cars that come roaring in the intersection and barely manage to break in time to avoid flattening you into a pancake.
3.  It means so much to me when, in a race, people who stop to walk move to the side, rather than stopping directly in front of, causing a gruesome runner's pile up.
4.  I think it's great that kids like to run races with their parents.  However, for the little ones (little physically, like under 10) can we keep it to the fun runs or maybe not start in the front of the group.  I almost took out several little kids in this weekend's race when they suddenly appeared in front of me.
5.  You feel really accomplished when coming back in from a run in the rain.

Christmas is almost here....are you ready?  Watched Christmas Vacation last night to get ready!