Running

I decided to do the Bridge of the Gods half marathon this weekend.  I talked to my dad about it and he sorta jumped on it.  I think he gets tired of being at home, so going away for a weekend appealed to him.  And I think it will help him with my Mom's birthday on Sunday.

I saw on Facebook a week ago a picture on an article of a couple people standing with their backs to the camera looking at a lake, they were wearing shorts and they had MOM written on the back of their calves (I don't even think it was an article about running or Mom's, but I can't remember and of course can't find it now).  It gave me the idea of doing that during my run on Sunday.  So, I'm going to write MOM on one leg and 8/12/1947-3/5/2018 on the other.  Maybe I'll get creative and use a heart for the O in Mom. . .  However, my Dad is the one that will have to write it, so we'll see.  =)

I say that getting away for a weekend appealed to my Dad, but we are also going camping the following week with my sisters, so it's not as if we have nothing planned.  But I really do think going somewhere other than their house for my Mom's birthday is good.

I've had a pretty emotional several weeks lately.  I have really been missing her.  This last Sunday marked 5 months, and I can't believe it's been so long and at the same time, I feel like I haven't seen her in forever.  I really, really miss her. . .

Enough of that . . .

On Saturday I went hiking with my sister.  We just went to a trail in the middle of a local town, but it was a nice little hike.  It ended up being about 4 1/2 miles and had some pretty good hills.  We talked a lot, some about my Mom, and it was really nice hanging out with her.  We haven't done anything, just the two of us, for awhile now.  

After our hike we got a pedicure.  Her husband knows someone (or she knows someone, I don't know) who got "metallic" polish, so we went to the place that was recommended and asked for metallic pedicures.  We didn't realize we were getting shellac on our toes, and then it didn't turn out "metallic."  When I got my nails done the next day at my regular place, she called it "cat eyes." It's pretty, but we paid double what we pay for a normal pedicure.  We both agree that while we like it, we won't be doing it again. 

This is what we asked for.

This is what we got.

Oh well, it's pretty . . .

So . . . running.  I'm feeling really good about my runs lately.  I did 12 miles on July 29th (which I wrote about) and last Sunday I did 8.  I'm still about a mile behind in my long runs, but I'm feeling good about catching up.  I don't really know why, but I felt the 8 mile run was harder than the 12 miles the week before.  Maybe it's just my body getting back into the swing of running so regularly again.  I wasn't being very consistent before this month.  In fact, in July I only ran a total of 62 miles.  Last year I ran 94 miles and in 2015 when I was training for my first marathon I ran 89 miles.  (Then last year I dropped way back in my mileage in August to "heal" my hip "issue" that I know now is unhealable.) 

This weekend I'll run 13 for the Bridge of the Gods run instead of the scheduled 14, but next week I'm thinking I'll run 15, which I'm supposed to run.  My weekly runs are still much lower than I'm supposed to be running.  Last week (if you count the hike with my sister) I ran 10 miles instead of the 12 I should have run (not counting the long run).  This week I'm hoping to get most of the weekly miles in.  I'm planning on running 6 (instead of 7) tonight.  And I'm haven't done a longer pace run.  The only pace runs I've done are 3 miles instead of the 6 I am supposed to.  Tonight I'm supposed to do 7 miles at race pace (that's under 9.09 min/mile) and I doubt I'll get it. . . I shouldn't have that mentality.

Last night I ran 4 miles in 80 degree weather.  I know, I know, there are people running in much hotter weather than that, but I'm not used to that.  I complain every year about how hot my evening runs are, and every year I don't wake up in the morning to do them.  This week I had my alarm set to go off at 4am two mornings in a row and I didn't get up. (It's just soooooo early!)  My entire run last night was done thinking about my neighbor's pool . . . so I text them as I was about to get home and asked if I could come fall into it.

That was the best swim I've had in years.  It felt sooooo heavenly.  And I didn't even care that my makeup was running down my face.  I went straight there after my run, took off my shoes and electronics and jumped in. It was amazing.  =)  I plan to do it again tonight.