Garbage Day

I ran 4 miles today after work and kickball. It took only 35 minutes (8.75 minute miles), and I felt like I was flying the whole way. I really just wanted it to be over and done with.
I have been sweating so much lately, and after I cool down, there are beautiful salt crystals all over me. I wonder if there is a way to salvage and sell them. Since I'm pretty sure I didn't win the 245 million Powerball, I've got to think of other ways to make my million. This could be it!

You run 16 miles, and whaddya get? / A couple sore ankles and a shirt full of sweat.

Yup, 16 miles. This run was better than the 15-miler for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was only 69 degrees and cloudy. Secondly, Meg biked alongside the whole way, handing me water and chapstick and singing me showtunes.
I was struggling the last 3 miles, so Meg went into her Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat routine. She went from the top all the way through Potiphar (not quite to Act 2), singing all the lyrics (including the harmonies), and doing all the voices.
There were only 2 minor incidents along the way. 1) A dog jumped out of the woods on the Gateway Trail and barked, freaking me out. 2) Meg tried to clap or snap while singing Bye Bye Blackbird, lost control of the bike, and nearly crashed. Disaster was narrowly averted, and we both agreed that just singing would have to be enough.
The whole thing took me 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is right on a 10-minute mile pace. Good enough for me!

New running outfit!

Ellen sent me a tank top from her work, which I wore on my run today. It's bright yellow, so people can see me, and it's a really soft mesh material. Quite comfortable. Thanks, E$!
I also bought a pair of actual running shorts (on Ellen's recommendation). They have built-in underwear, which made me nervous at first, but they're nice because they don't get all bunchy. There's nothin' worse than bunchy undies.

This morning I drove to downtown St. Paul, parked in a free lot by Hwy 52, and ran south along Shepard Road to 35E and back.
Total mileage = 8 (right on schedule)
Total time = 1hr 15min (good)
Minutes per mile = 9.4 (good)
Temp = 68 degrees (perfect!)
Humidity = 39% (perfect!)
Dew Point = 44 degrees (perfect!)

Quagmires and the Gigity Gigity Goo

Not only is today the start of my 4-day weekend, but the high temp is only 77 degrees (dew point 50 degrees, humidity 41% - perfect!), so I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to run! I ran over 4.5 miles in about 40 minutes today, so I'm just under 9-minute miles. It seems like on my shorter runs (between 4-7 miles), I can keep up that pace. But anything longer than 7 miles, I drop back into 10-minute miles. My feet were kind of sore after the 15 miler on Monday, but they felt fine today. Good.
Last night were the first games of kickball for me. Yes, you heard me: kickball. (See title of post for team name, but do not ask me to explain.) I'm pretty sure the last time I played was in junior high, if not before. It was bizarre, but fun, and everyone on our team is really nice. There aren't umpires, and there aren't really any rules, either. I'm definitely more comfortable in a structured environment, but I'm adapting.
Tonight is the first night of fall softball - yay!
And now it's time for me to eat some lunch.

Longest. Run. Ever.

Well, for me, that is!
I drove over to Meg's house this morning. She packed up the kids into her bike stroller thingy, and we headed out, she biking, me running. We left from their house and headed to Lake Phalen. From there, we found the Gateway Trail with moderate difficulty. (I recently heard about this trail, and it's great! The total length is 18.3 miles, and it starts somewhere in St. Paul, and ends just north of Stillwater.) Meg rode the first hour with me, but then the kids started to melt, so they headed back home. I continued on for another 15 minutes or so, then turned around and retraced my steps. I ran just over 15 miles in 2.5 hours. (If you want a cool website, go to www.mapmyrun.com. You can plot running/biking routes, and it calculates mileage, etc.) The last 3 miles were killer! I got really thirsty, and it was getting pretty warm out, too. Nothing hurt, at least!

Ellen ran in the Chicago Distance Classic 1/2 Marathon Saturday morning. She finished in 1 hr 51 minutes (8.5 minute miles) and in her women's division (ages 25-29), she finished 129 out of 1175. She amazes me.
I'll try to add a picture later, but I'm going to post this now before my power goes out. There are some crazy storms tonight!!

What are the chances?

Today is supposed to be the day for a long run, however I have to push it off until Monday because I work. Instead, I thought I would ride my new bike to work! Last night I got totally set: I made sure I could take the front tire off to lock it up, I made my lunch, I got a pair of scrubs together so I could just walk out the door (a half hour earlier).
Unfortunately (ok, maybe fortunately), my plans were foiled! I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm! I seriously thought it was a dream. Since when does it rain around here? I checked weather.com, and it looks like rain all day.
I'll guess I'll try again tomorrow.

Reunion!

I went to my 10 year high school reunion last weekend. It was actually pretty fun and not too painful! Everyone seemed to look the same as I remembered, although I do have a really bad memory, so who knows?
I ran 10 miles Saturday morning. Mom rode her bike next to me, which was great and very helpful. She told me stories the whole time, and supplied me with lots of water. Good stuff.
Meg and I went to see the movie Once on Sunday night at the Lagoon in Uptown. It is a wonderful movie/musical even though there's barely a storyline and the main characters are unnamed. Everyone in the theater stayed until the credits were completely over, and no one said a word until we were outside. Bizarre experience.
I ran 4 miles Monday, 3 miles Tuesday, and 7 miles today. So far, so good. I'm supposed to run 15 miles Saturday, but I work 7am-7pm, so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that.
I bought gas for $2.69/gallon today. I'm hoping to bike to work this weekend for the first time. I'm nervous.