Countdown to the marathon.....
I can't believe I'm writing this. ME?? running a marathon? Last week I had conflicts early in the week and couldn't get in a run and on Wednesday afternoon I went to see my new GP doctor. We had a very productive visit and I left feeling like at least someone was listening! she's ordered a sleep study for me and some more labs, plus faxed in a prescription for ambien (which I was just informed is ready for me!). I got so excited thinking after my doctor's visit, I'd just pop over to Schlotzsky's, check the work email, change into workout clothes and meet the womens' group at the park. Cool! I got there like 30 min early and nobody was arriving.. what the heck? Finally at 6:25 I called Susan's phone but she didn't answer. Neither did she call me back... Finally at 6:45 I called Steve and asked him to check the women's group workout location. DUH! I was at the SUNDAY LONG RUN location.. Wednesday was supposed to be Balcones Pool.. silly me. And that was sort of in my neighborhood. By the time I did get to my neighborhood, it was like 7:15 so I just blew off that workout. darn it. I was all ready to go, too.
Thursday evening I couldn't run after work because I had to test some firmware before the end of day. That meant it was completely dark before I was done working.. I decided I'd try to run the equivalent of a marathon over the course of the weekend...
Friday I finally got out there. 8 miles after work-and the temp was pretty warm. Saturday, Steve and I had brunch at Hoover's north and later I ran 6.25 miles around the house (again, very warm!). I got to go to dinner as Mindy's guest for their annual "recognition" dinner, which was at 7:30 at Cannoli Joe's in far Southwest Austin. Mindy had to work till after 6:00, so I went to get her just before 7:00, and we headed down Mopac. We got caught in horrid traffic around the Lake Austin Blvd exit. Thinking it would clear up after we passed whatever wreck happened in front of us, we just kept creeping along. she had to call two of her friends who were already at the restaurant to tell them we were stuck in traffic. It took FOREVER to get to the 2244 exit, then Barton Skyway. THEN, we find out ALL THREE LANES of traffic had to exit at the lp 360/Barton Creek mall exit. Great. And I didn't realize you had to squeeze into the right lane to go straight at the light, so I had to turn left.
I was just glad to get out of the mess and figured I'd find the place eventually. We had to take back roads and such but eventually found ourselves on the backside of Toney Burger Center. Thank goodness I've lived here 25 years and knew what's what we were driving next to. It was probably 8:30 when we finally got there, but they were very nice to us, gave us drink coupons (I immediately ordered a glass of merlot) and the food was really good, even for buffet that was probably not "real fresh" when we arrived. I had to get up early the next day so had to rein in the food intake. I had one plate with salads and one with pastas. The desserts looked scrumptious but I had to pass on them. Mindy was so cute - she ordered a glass of white zinfandel for her first drink and a frozen margarita for the second (did I mention I was driving?).Since we were pretty much the "end of the party", the Great Clips owners came and sat with us and we had a really nice conversation. She's got a pretty good deal with them and they seem like they treat their employees more like family. Really enjoyed that outing and Mindy got a certificate for one year of service.
It was 11pm when I got home (yikes! I wanted to take a benadryl to help me get to sleep...) I had the running stuff already planned out (thank goodness!). Was probably close to midnight when I fell asleep, I woke up once and I guess I went back to sleep pretty easily cause the alarm had to wake me at 6:15. It was again pretty warm as I met the group - since this is the last long supported run before the marathon we all started at 8:00. Susan took a few pix and then we all took off. I kept Praveeta in my sights for about 2 miles, then she disappeared and I was all alone as usual. I got new earphones for the ipod - the kind that hook over your ears-and they had worked well for me.
Coach Kim had our first rest stop at Brentwood school (around mile 3), so I had my gu and water, then she was on White Rock around mile 6 so I had a clif shot & water. I knew the cutoff time was 90 min so I told her not to wait up for me, I'd run the last 3 miles "alone". So I did, it took me 2 hours to run that 9 muggy miles! Went home and saddled up "Buzz". Coach Cindy had concocted an informal bike ride starting at 1:00 at Lake Pflugerville. Windy?? you bet! Kim was there, newly ok'd to ride, and Coach Gina came from "south of the river" with her right knee braced up after the skiing incident.. We had quite a little group - two people I hadn't met before (Jeremy and Jennifer), Coaches Cindy and Gina, Kim, Carolyn, Vickie, Kenneth, Emmie and I took off on a modified "Pflugerville Tri bike course" 13 mile loop. WINDY??!! goodness.. it was just survival.. I was riding just behind Gina when the wind finally died down enough to talk to each other. Gina said,"I'm naming this the Bob Seeger Against the Wind ride!".. Gina, Emmie and Kim called it good after one loop and the rest of us went on for a second one. Cindy's friend Cynthia had showed up between the loops and they tacked on another 4 or 5 miles to their second loop. Me - after running 9 miles in the morning and riding 26 miles "against the wind", I was done.
on my way back home I called Steve and told him I was starving so we met for early dinner (I wiped off the top layer of salty sweat) at Casa Chapala. I like that place - unfortunately he'd eaten most of the excellent chips and custom mixed salsa before I got there!! oh well.. I had plenty of food with the mole negro. Steve ordered sopapillas so I was "obligated" to eat one of those also! When I got home and cleaned up and put things away and got the workout clothes in the washer, I had to smile to myself. I had a decent amount of sleep, I'd run and cycled like crazy and had two very nice dinners. What a weekend! now I have to be good till Sunday evening!