This weekend was the beginning of the downward spiral into craziness. After finishing the Newton Hills on Thursday in record time and having a blast at Crossroads when I was done, Friday I was exhausted. Only about 4 hours of sleep and I had to get up for work. I muddled through the day like a zombie and made it to quittin time. Then the decision, what to do with the REST of the day. Key word being REST. I texted my friend Kim and we went for a walk with her baby girl Ryann. When we finished the walk it was still only 4:30. I headed home and started laundry. Made some dinner - Baked Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean salad. Spent the rest of the evening on my couch watching TV. Saturday I actually slept in (until about 6:30am) and then spent most of the morning in my PJs sipping tea and watching the Today show. I would like to say I folded my laundry, but it's still in the basket, clean, but not folded. I hate folding laundry. I vacuumed and mopped and dusted and even went through all my old race shirts and made a pile for Salvation Army. By noon I couldn't take it anymore, it was gorgeous out and I needed to get out there and go for a run. A SHORT run. I really wanted to go for like 10 miles but I held back and limited myself to a nice easy 4 miles. As much as I HATE shorter runs this one turned out pretty awesome. I found a dollar bill in the road just after the turn around on my out and back. If I had done a longer run it would have taken me on a different path and I would have missed the dollar bill.
So, another 35 minutes of my day gone by but still tons of hours left. I took a shower and went to the mall in search of the elusive Runner Fit Jeans. Seriously, why is everything slim through the hips and thighs right where my glutes and quads need to go? I tried on several pairs and still have not found a brand that fits just right. Then for shits and giggles I started trying on cocktail dresses. Express has this wicked hot dress on sale right now that I really want, but I have no occasion to wear it. I tried it on and looked AMAZING in it, but I can't justify spending $100 on a dress I may never wear. That's like two half marathon registration fees or a new pair of running shoes.
Anyway, Sunday morning was my trial run with my friend Cherie who plans to pace me from Chesnut Hill to mile 25 (or the finish if she can stay on the course). We were doing 6 miles and it would be my last long-ish run before race day and her first long-ish run since her last marathon in the fall. She was worried that she might not be able to keep up with me, but I told her not to worry, no matter what distance she could run with me it will give me a mental boost just at the point of the race when I need it most. We ran the hills of Methuen near her house and she did AWESOME! We averaged 9:30s (my garmin said 9:20s) and ran a bunch of really tough hills. So, she should be fine for the last few miles of the marathon considering it's mostly flat except for my least favorite hill right at mile 25 coming into Kenmore Square. That little "bump" over the Mass pike SUCKS!
After the run, we got back to her house and her son Mitchell had made us his signature blend of coffee. I don't drink coffee often, but when Mitchell makes it I have two or three cups! It's seriously the best coffee in the world. I don't know how he brews it or what he adds to the coffee but it's delicious. We sat and chatted over the coffee and Cherie made me pancakes. I'm so excited to run I'm practically jumping out of my own skin. I was telling her that while I was getting ready to go to her house I was watching the Channel 4 news and they kept playing commercials for the marathon. I was getting goose bumps watching them and one of the commercials almost made me cry!
I spent the rest of the afternoon on a high partly from the awesome run we completed and partly from Mitchell's coffee. I went grocery shopping and baked some more cookies. I tried another new recipe of my own creation, chocolate chip, but I replaced the chocolate chips with Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups. I told my friend Kim her husband might have to arrest me because the cookies should be a controlled substance. They were RIDICULOUSLY yummy. I think I ate about a dozen of them at least.
Monday was the longest day EVER. And I have a feeling the rest of the week will be just as painfully slow. The clock seemed to move backwards time went by so slow. I finally made it to the end of the work day and decided to skip the gym and just relax, "the hay is in the barn" as Jack Fultz says. I went home and found a new issue of 'Running Times' in my mail and blew through it in a matter of minutes. I finished Dean Karnazes new book and even took a little cat nap. Then I ate some cookies. :) Here's hoping the rest of the week FLIES by although I know better and it will be painfully slow. SIX MORE DAYS...........
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