So today I did 16, and then next week will be 19 and then two weeks off before the big 26.2.

I’m feeling a bit like I did last time at this point-how in the hell am I going to add 10 miles on to my long runs?! I should have done 16.5 today but I stopped at 16. When I told my husband that he laughed and said, “You mean you ran for sixteen miles and couldn’t finish up that last half mile? Doesnt’ that seem funny?”

So funny I almost turned around and did it-but I didn’t. My feet were hurting and I was hungry. Ravenous.

I had to order my new running shoes from a store online. I hope they come in okay. They were actually cheaper there than they would have been at the store, and there are no running stores around here! I miss LA for the shopping. Not that I’m a big shopper, but when I need a specific thing, like my running shoes, then I want that specific thing easily. But, I just have to be more prepared and order them in advance next time. This gives me one week, a long run, a few weeks of easier runs before the big race. I hope they come in today!

Some crazy random thoughts on this morning’s run:

1. If you are running and you pass someone one time you generally say hello. What if you pass them a second time? Do you say hello again. or do you say something else, like, “Wow, it’s really cold out today!” Or do you just nod? If you pass that person a third time (hey, it happens out here because I’m doing the same loop over and over and over and over and over and over . . . ) is that when you nod? Or do you ignore them because you have already spoken or nodded a few times?
2. Why does running distances make you have to go to the bathroom? Is there something you can take before a run that will stop that need? I recall my first marathon and the time I spent in several of the porta potties. I don’t want that to happen again. Any suggestions would be great!
3. How do deer get cooled down in the hot summer months? I’ve heard it can hit 115 here with the humidity factored in. Deer like cold weather, right? I see them out in the morning when it is cool, looking for food and running around. But what do they do when it is hot?  Do they hide in the bushes and cool themselves off?
4. Why does it always seem that when you add a few miles on it is really much longer and harder than the previous run? I added up to 14 before. Today I went 16. It was only two additional miles, but those two additional miles were tough. Next week when I go to 19, I bet 16 won’t seem so bad. 14 didn’t seem so bad today. Maybe it was because I had already done it. Maybe it is like driving someplace new. The first time seems extra long; the second time, not so much.

Before the end of my run I saw this guy come out of a street running. I’d been running for over two hours, so I knew he was just starting since I hadn’t seen him previously. He wore shorts and no gloves. I know he was extra cold, but he was super fast. He tore up that road at a clip that made me amazed.

I got frustrated. I thought, shit, here I am running, running, running and not going so fast. In my weekly runs I’m averaging about 9:22 but on these long runs I’m hitting the upper 9′s, low 10s per mile. That’s ok with me, until I see someone flying by like that.

Then I thought, I’ve been running for two hours. Two! Maybe he just started. Maybe he’s fresh.

Then, about twenty minutes later, I see him coming back my way. Going sideways. Yes, running sideways. I’m not kidding. Sideways running.

Have you seen this before? What is this? Is it new?

He was a happy runner. Maybe running sideways is a lot of fun. I don’t think I’ll try it, but who knows?

Four weeks until Disney Marathon! See you there!