Alternate titles to this post:

• I Promise I’m Not Always This Stupid
• Mile Markers Stole My Thunder
• Seriously? Seriously?!?

So, Saturday means long run day for me. I have four weeks until my first half marathon (or official half marathon…but we’ll get to that in a minute). For my last four weeks, I had a game plan. It went something like this:

• Oct 8 – 12 mile run
• Oct 15 – 15K race with Lee (in a week?! that one snuck up on me!)
• Oct 22 – 12 miles again
• Oct 29 – 10 miles (still good distance, but not as high before race day)
• Nov 5 – Savannah RNR, baby!!!!

I wanted to fit in a couple of 12 miler runs to help myself feel better prepared, mentally and physically for my run.

In my mind, 12 made the perfect distance to feel more than ready for a half marathon distance, but to still make hitting 13.1 special.

I can’t tell you how many times the image of crossing the Savannah RNR finish line and achieving that goal has motivated me on my long runs. Keeping 13.1 special means a lot to me. I wanted to save it for race day.

Notice that? I wanted to save it for race day.

It may make me a whiny, bratty witch to complain about that…but it bothered me. Allow me to pitch a hissy fit for a few minutes? I promise to get over it by the end of this post.

For my run this morning, I didn’t want to worry about my pace in hitting a new PDR of 12 miles. I strapped on my Garmin but told myself to avoid looking at it at all costs. I did a very good job of that and solely used the mileage markers on the running path to guide my run.

When I thought I had reached 6 miles based on the markers, I checked my Garmin while grabbing my Gu from my Spibelt. It read 6.36 miles. Oh, great. There was nothing I could do about it, besides turn around and run back. I would just end up with about .7 miles extra on my run.

Then…I had to take a pit stop to the bathroom on the way back. The bathroom is off a side trail, that I thought would be relatively short. It was .2 miles each way. Can you do the math? 6.36 + 6.36 + .2 + .2 = right at 13.1 miles.

My special distance. The distance I wanted to hit crossing a finish line, with my husband watching me and then get the chance to celebrate the heck out of that day later with friends. I ended the run feeling strong, but kind of gipped.

I know full well that being able to run 13.1 miles is nothing to whine about. I will still feel so proud crossing the finish line. I feel in awe of my body today that it accomplished that distance.

Thanks for letting me gripe. First, I’m going to have Makenzie help me learn how to count. Then, I’m going to knock some sense into myself and get over it. Feel free to help me out.  

• Do you get emotionally attached to reaching goals at all?

If I hadn’t had small group at church last night, it would have taken a lot of convincing for me to believe today is already Thursday. And now it’s basically over. This week is zooming right on by. Yowza! I even almost forgot about my weekly Thursday ritual of lunch with Peter. A message from him suddenly popped up asking me when I planned on leaving to meet him for lunch. Uhhh…now???

I scurried around to head out for our weekly lunch date because you know I wouldn’t miss that. Peter even suggested grabbing lunch out this week since his work had bratwurst on the menu, which didn’t appeal greatly to either of us.

We decided to visit a sandwich café that we have wanted to try for awhile.

As it turns out, Cuzi Café is basically a glorified Atlanta Bread Company or Panera Bread, but why should I complain about that? I love both of those places! I love me a good sandwich.

I ended up ordering our sandwiches to go since the weather looked too gorgeous to ignore. We headed to our typical park lunch spot to enjoy our lunch together. And enjoy it, I sure did!

I picked a half and half combo – half of a sandwich and a half-sized salad.

For the sandwich, I chose the Avocado Delight which had thick avocado slices, tomato, cucumber slices, mushrooms, spinach, onion, and roasted red peppers with a dill sauce on nine-grain bread.

That sucker took some skill to eat. All the avocado wanted to slip out with every bite. Don’t worry. I handled it. I wasn’t going to let a bite go to waste.

For my salad, I went with my all time favorite combo of spinach, pecans, dried cranberries, apple slices, blue cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

I truly don’t think any other salad combination can compare.

It ended up making the perfect lunch to enjoy outdoors.

Later in the afternoon, I had to make up my run from the morning. I usually hit up the treadmill for some interval action on Thursday mornings, but couldn’t make it this morning since Braedon caught whatever bug Makenzie had earlier in the week. I considered going to the gym to try a new treadmill interval workout this afternoon…but one look outside convinced me otherwise in about .2 seconds flat.

That is prime outdoor running weather right there! Anything from low 50s to high 70s feels fabulous to me and makes me want to run all day. Or four miles. Whatever.

Since I had a killer speedy run a couple days ago, I decided to just run this run care-free style. I picked a familiar route so I could leave the Garmin at home. I ran sans music. I la-di-dah-ed my way through the run and soaked up the glorious fall day. It was perfect. Until I tripped hardcore and gave myself a black eye walking back to my car.

Kidding!!! Although I know you wouldn’t put it past me after this week, huh? It’s just purple eye shadow because I felt like being a dork. I completely freaked Peter out and had him going. It was awesome.

Alright my friends, it’s about time for me to catch up with some TV shows and snuggle time with Peter. Night!

• Do you prefer dining outdoors or indoors?
• What are you up to tonight?