No, today's post isn't a math lesson! I found out yesterday that I'll be runner #9. In case you didn't know, 18 is my favorite & my lucky number.
So when I found out I was going to be runner #9, my first thought was, "Cool! That's 18 divided by 2!" (Keep in mind that I'm a math geek, so I'm always looking for mathy things like that.)
While I don't have the longest distances to run, I don't have the shortest ones either. This is what I'll be tackling.
The longest leg is only 8.1 miles. That's totally do-able! (Don't roll your eyes at the "only 8.1 miles" comment. You know what I mean!)
Remember the last post? (You best be shaking your head saying, "Yes.") Well, I heard from the team captain that I'm a medium. No, not the psychic kind of medium, although that would be really cool!
In case you're wondering, no, I have not gained weight, so it's also not the medium-sized t-shirt either.
(Gosh, I'd probably be swimming in that, don't you think?!) I mean "medium" in terms of distance! Apparently, all of the longer distances have already been requested. Who knew those would be the popular ones?! Team captain Andy said I'd most likely get something in the 15-18 mile range. Hey, that's cool with me! During the Keys100 relay in May, I covered 18.64 miles. (Linky with details & other good numbers.) According to the distances chart, that means I could end up possibly being runner 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, or 12. Time for a Grandma story! I was talking with her today, and when I brought up this relay, she said, "Oh gosh! I've got to start getting ready for that!" Yes, Grandma, you do! Just like my other races, especially the Keys100, I want you there with me! You drink your Dr. L while I run. We're a great team like that! :-)
It's less than 2 months until Ragnar! Woo hoo! Time to start thinking about what legs of the relay I'll run. Well, honestly, I'm not thinking about it too much. As the "outsider" to the group, I'm flexible and agreeable and all of those other -ables that you want to use. I'm not against running the shorter totals, and I'm not against running the longer ones either. Unlike the Keys100 relay where you can sort of pick your order & distances, Ragnar is more structured. Take a look at what's below to get a feel for what I'm talking about.
Maybe runner #3 doesn't have my name written all over it. (Did you see that part, especially legs 2 and 3?! In my best George Takei voice, "Oh my!" If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you need to watch the short clip below.)
Please take note, and feel free to remind me if I forget this: yogurt before a run is not good, but yogurt after a run is totally fine.
Would you like to guess what I ate before my run this morning? (It was this, but it was the raspberry flavor. Very delicious but not good before a run! I should have stuck to my usual pre-run snack, a banana, and saved the yogurt for after.)
In honor of today's post, I've got to give you the true "Reunited and It Feels So Good" song. It's well worth the 6 minutes and 14 seconds. Go watch, and then return here after you're thoroughly mellowed out!
Today was my first "long run" since (I kid you not) July 8th. Why do I have "long run" in quotes? Well, opinions vary, but mine is that 6 miles really doesn't qualify as "long." Had you asked me back in May or June or even July what a "long run" was, I'd have certainly said a minimum of 10 miles. However, beggars (or, more accurately, those returning from an injury) can't be choosers; if the physical therapist says 6 miles is today's long run, so be it! This 6 mile run, though, felt so good! It was slow, as per the PT's instructions. Long runs aren't about speed; they're about muscle endurance and getting your muscles to accept longer amounts of time over which they must work. So today's run was just that: slow! Don't believe me? Check out a screen shot of my RunKeeper results. A pace of 8:45 is slow!
Despite my psuedo-bitching, I have to admit that it felt so good to be out there! It was probably the easiest 6 mile run I've ever done, but it was a great one to ease back into the game!
