Um. Err. Uhh.

I am terrified of public speaking.  Moreover, I am someone who is not naturally inclined with this ability.  In fact, in front of a group, I tend to lose all ability to communicate like a normal person.  Unfortunately, my job sometimes requires me to do a little bit of public speaking.  So, when the opportunity presented itself to attend a professional development course designed to improve public speaking skills, I signed up.  The course took place this morning, and as as you might expected, involved completing a number of exercises meant to hone public speaking skills.  This was all fine and dandy when I was sitting at the conference table engaging in back and forth dialogue.  However, at the end of the course, we all went through the exercise of standing up as individuals and giving an impromptu formal speech in front of the class.  When it was my turn, I proceeded to do every single thing that they had taught us not to.  I said "ummm" so many times that I even distracted myself from what I was saying.  And I kind of danced back and forth as I stood in place.  And I used my hands inappropriately.  And my eyes bounced around the room so quickly that I looked like I was on crack and had no ability to hold eye contact with anyone.  I was without a doubt the worst in the class.  It was awesome, in a completely awkward and humiliating sort of a way.

So what does any of this have to do with my marathon training?  Well in short, this morning's experience is what I mulled over for the last 50 minutes as I ran to nowhere on the treadmill.  But on the positive side, I was so distracted by my thoughts and reliving the horror of the morning, I plowed through the run like it was nothing.  Perhaps before I do the Marine Corps Marathon, I'll steal the mic from whoever is starting the race and give a little speech all about me.  No doubt that would fuel me to finish the race in 3 hours.  Go me!

Miles logged: 5.65
Miles I was supposed to log: 3
Pace: 9:15 / mile

As Graceful as an Ogre

Today, it took me 4 miles before I felt warmed up.  And then I stopped briefly at mile 4.5 to check on the boy, who was banging away on something in the other room (a drum, as it turns out.  So at least it was appropriate hitting.)  The break messed up my groove.  And after that, I felt like I was stomping along as I ran like an ogre.  It wasn't pretty.  But I finished nonetheless.

Miles logged: 5.65
Miles I was supposed to log: ZERO
Pace: 9:15 / mile

Climbing My Mount Everest

So taking inspiration from my brother's discipline, I dragged myself out of bed and was out the door by 6:00 am this morning.  I did an out and back run so that the driver of my support vehicle did not have to forgo sleeping in on Saturday just to pick me up from wherever I might go on a particular day.  (As I usually pick a favorite coffee place as the end point for a long run, this also meant forgoing the immediate chai latte that typically awaits me .  What?!  Chai lattes are basically like chocolate milk.  Just replace the chocolate with delicious spices, and it's the same thing.  Yummy protein to rebuild my spent muscles.  But I digress.)  What a difference from last Saturday!  I didn't even go through half of the water in my belt.  I had a good, strong run up until mile 8(ish), when I came to the nasty hill that starts the mostly uphill final leg of my return to home.  The first big hill I ascend has a grade of like 100%.  (Okay, that's an exageration, but it's steep.)  And I know the trick to conquering these things is fast, short steps.  So I dug in... but with each step, I grew slower and slower.  And I finally got to the point where I recognized that I could move faster if I were walking briskly.  Subsequently, this was at one point when a squirrel popped out from behind a bush and just starred at me coming up on him, without flinching, and then slowly turned and sauntered off.  I was half way up that first hill, and I conceded to walk until the grade became reasonable.  The rest of the run was okay, but my quads definately felt spent after that hill.

Miles logged: 10.4
Miles I was supposed to log: 10
Pace: 9:45 / mile

Mathlete

I frequently do math in my head when I run.  I'll just be trotting along while calculating fractions, doing division, and doing multiplication.  'Cause I'm cool like that.  My college calculus professor (Prof. Stodgehill) would be so proud.  If he weren't too busy flinging erasers at me.  'Cause he was cool like that.

Miles logged: 5.65
Miles I was supposed to log: 3
Pace: 9:15 / mile

"No mommy, you are the runner..."

Totally random story, because I'm a woman / mother and it's my prerogative to convey such stories.  Anyway, while getting the boy ready for bed the other night, he asks "where's daddy."  I respond that daddy is downstairs running, to which the boy emphatically states "no mommy, you are the runner!"  Yes, yes I am.  Which I will admit pleases me to no end that "runner" is part of his definition of mommy.  Anyway, we then went on to talk about that one day, maybe all of us could run a race together, and wouldn't that be fun?  I wonder, is 3 years too young to compete in the tough mudder series?

Miles logged: 6
Miles I was supposed to log: 5
Pace: 9:40 / mile

Two for One

I like days off.  It's easier to run in the morning when I can wake up at my leisure and head out when I am good and ready.  Which I did yesterday.  And then went about my day.

Yesterday:
Miles logged: 5.75
Miles I was supposed to log: Zero.  Nada.  None-at-all.
Pace: 9:15 / mile

Fast forward to today.  It felt like a Monday run, and I didn't even pretend that I was going to try to wake up before work and pound the pavement (or as I do on weekdays, pound the belt on the treadmill)... which I will admit that I do at least half of all weekday mornings.  And honestly, I don't know that I've done a run before work once in the past six months.  Which is funny, because back when the boy was first born, I used to wake up at the crack of dawn (literally) and get my day started on the treadmill.  I don't know what happened there.  Perhaps when he started sleeping later, I felt obligated to do so as well.  Hmph.

Today:
Miles logged: 5.65
Miles I was supposed to log: 3
Pace: 9:15 / mile

Hot As Hades

I had every intention of waking up at 7:00 so that I could get my run in before the heat kicked up.  Yeah... that didn't happen.  I didn't leave the house until almost 8:45, at which time is was already nice and hot.  Lesson learned?  Wake my lazy ass up out of bed on time for Saturday long runs.  On the plus side, I met everyone at St. Elmos at the end of my run and had a giant chai latte to "recover" my muscles.
Miles logged: 8.04
Miles I was supposed to log: 8
Pace: 9:30 / mile