My Safety Net

My mom told me that you aren't a true runner until you pee or poop in public. I might be eating my words later, but I will never be a real runner if that is what it comes down to. While I am training for the half-marathon, McDonald's is my safety net, or safety toilet if you will.

Bolivar streets run on a really easy grid system and I run on the side that leads to McDonalds. When I started my run at 6:00am, I knew immediately that I was in trouble. My stomach would clench and then as soon as I would decide to head to the golden arches I would feel fine again. I was playing constant mind games with my tummy. Do I? or Do I Not? Then I amused myself with thinking about how funny it would be to use the restroom in public along my training path. Let's see, where would the best place be to go...First Baptist? the high school? the elementary school? I know! Across the street from a client's home! See, it's just not gonna happen for me.

I guess I'm just not that hardcore.

I have not posted here in over a month. That is just unacceptable. It's not like I don't check my blogs every day.

Today I would like to toot my own horn. I had the best run ever this morning!! It wasn't that it was incredibly long or anything, but it was pretty effortless. That shows that I'm making a lot of improvement. With the past week being so freakin' hott, I have felt miserable when I have been running. I have been regretting my decision of signing up for the half marathon in December and really feeling alone and dejected. I wasn't seeing any progress, and in fact I was seeing negative progress if that was even possible.

There were days where I knew that I had run 2 miles and I would look down at my watch and see that I hadn't even run a mile. Oh my gosh. I was miserable. The positive side of things was that I kept trying. On the days that I was supposed to run, I ran. Even if I wasn't able to run the entire time I would run/walk the distance.

Today was different though. I thought it was going to be the same. I had the worst night of sleep that I have ever had in a LONG time. I was up for so long, i thought I might as well go run at 3:30 since I was up. I ended up leaving at 5:50, but I think the difference might have been that I knew that I was going to be tired so I made some iced coffee before I hit the door. I try not to be a big coffee drinker, especially before I run but this really did the trick. I had enough energy to keep me going. I kept a good pace the entire time and before I knew it. I had reached my distance for the day which was 3.5 miles. Rock on! I proudly wore the sweat on my face as I strutted back to my house. I was literally dancing in my street. I wonder what my neighbors thought of me as I shook my groove thing in my driveway. Oh well, they were probably just getting their lazy tails out of beds while I was kicking butts and taking names!