Ten Miles From Nowhere

How have you been
In the shape you were in
I'm surprised that you got where you're going...

Last Saturday morning, well before the crack of dawn, Diana came over to my house and we set out for what was supposed to be an early morning ten mile run. Two miles into it I almost threw myself in front of a BMW driven by a rich OC mom on her way to her early morning yoga class. I felt like crap. I was running so slow that I'm pretty sure I was actually going backward instead of forward. We ended up turning around and running/walking back to my house. I was so deflated. How am I going to run 13.1 miles next week when I was contemplating becoming road kill after just two miles?

Answer: I'll just do it. Like Nike.

My problems on Saturday morning were many, but mostly, they were mental. I was not excited about getting up at 5:30am and running in the dark and cold. In anticipation of this early morning run, I went to bed early on Friday night, but slept horrible because I was anxious about getting up so early. The chips were stacking up against me before I even got up to count them. Also, my brain has been telling my feet mean, nasty things about my running partners (how could it? I love my running partners!). This makes my feet want to shrivel up in my shoes like the Wicked Witch's. For some reason, lately, I have not been running well with others. Like I said, this is all mental, but as my race gets closer and closer, I cannot seem to break down these mental barricades. Instead, I'm building new ones. When I run, I rarely run with my iPod. I actually like to be alone on a run with my thoughts. I like to hear the sound of my own breathing and focus on the inhale, exhale, inhale. So, I think I need to take a break from running with others and get through this upcoming half marathon on my own (where, you know, I'll only be running with 10,000 other people!) and then I can get back into the groove of running with friends.

Even though the half marathon is going to be packed with people, I think I'll be okay because I don't plan on having conversations with the other runners and I'm only competing against myself and my goal time--no one else. My friend, Britt, is going to be there also, so we might run a little while together at the beginning, but since I'm afraid I won't be very fun to run with due to my current mental state, we probably won't stay together too long.

So, Saturday's run sucked.

Sunday, however, was much better! In between bands of heavy rain showers, I laced up my old running shoes (I didn't want to get my new ones all wet and dirty), and headed out on a ten mile loop through Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, and Laguna Hills. I felt great during the run and did well on all of the hills (and there were quite a few!). Once I get past mile four on any run, I get into a grove and just go and I was groovin' on Sunday. When I returned from the run I felt like I am ready for the half marathon on Sunday (yes, as in THIS Sunday).

This week's running schedule is light, of course. I went to a great yoga class last night. Tonight I will run four miles, tomorrow three miles, and Thursday two miles. Nine miles until 13.1 miles...