And the winner is...

the 4 mile run! 

I woke up this morning and Mr. Darcy asked me, "So, what's your morning look like?"  And I wanted to respond "the inside of my eyelids."  I really cannot pull off going to bed at 11 pm anymore.  Call me old, or whatever, but beyond 10 pm is just asking a bit much of me.  (But you can tell my thyroid is working because when it wasn't anything beyond 8:45 was near impossible.)  I didn't feel like swimming.  I didn't feel like running.  I felt like laying in bed.  And I told Mr. Darcy that, and then I said, "so I'll probably run.  I just have to step out the door to do that one, and really it's the 1st 2 minutes that are the hardest."

Then I got out of bed and realized that my hamstrings were sore.  I find some cosmic irony in the fact that my hamstrings are sore from yoga.  Even though I know that yoga is about strength and balance and mental stillness, it always amazes me when I get sore from it.  I think of it as active relaxation.  But then I guess you could say that about all of my physical activity.  I'm blaming the repeats of head, heart earth followed by chair position and backward bends.  Oh and quite possibly all those forward folds.  I stretched a little and put on my running gear. 

Next was getting the Little Ladies out of bed and ready for school.  I had a zone bar on the way in to their room as my pre workout snack.  Ladybug evidently could smell it on my breath and wanted some.  I told her I finished it and she asked if she could have one for breakfast.  I was thrilled quite frankly.  It's healthier than her usual option of a whole grain waffle.  And it's part of my sneaky plan to get the girls eating Zone!  Mr. Darcy said he'll eat more in the Zone but that he wants to keep his breads and such.  So no Paleo zone for him, but then he's the reason why my children love carbohydrates - I'm convinced it's in their blood somehow.  Even more exciting, at least at first, was that Angelfish opted to share the Zone bar with Ladybug instead of eat muffins! Of course, she ended up eating a couple of muffins too... the child LOVES her muffins.  Which might as well say she loves her sugar.  But at least she eats cheese and fruit and lean meat... we're still working on the veggies... the rest of the time.

So anyway, out the door, kisses and hugs given, and they're off.  And so was I.  I decided that since my hamstrings were hurting a little that I would plan on 4 miles but if I needed to I could shorten to 3.  (Like I ever let myself shorten the run unless I'm in excruciating pain... but I still fall for it everytime.)  I also decided that I would take it easy because sore hamstrings can be easier to pull, and if I pull a hammie I'm out for awhile.  I did it once in high school during winter running season. 2 months later I could run again. Not the type of "rest" I'm looking for, thank you very much.

It was/is very humid this morning but yet a little cooler because of the cloudiness.  You can almost feel the air (not a breeze, the air) on your skin it's that humid. Or as the girls like to say "It's sweaty out."  But I took it easy and ran along doing 5/1s.  1st mile in just a little over 11 minutes.  My hamstrings, particularly the left one, were talking to me but nothing major.  By mile 2 my left hamstring had a couple of things to say that might not have been particularly friendly, but I ignored it.  I laughed as I went up the hill because it dawned on me that I have never hit that hill where it was my walk minute. Never. It's not that big of a hill, but it was just something that entered my brain.

At the bottom of the hill is where you have to make the decision - cut it short to 3 miles or keep running for the 4.  So as I  knew I would, I told myself, go for the 4.  You need to keep up your running progress and besides if things get bad enough, you can walk it home.  It was like my left hamstring was listening because it got mad at me.  I ignored it and kept running my 5/1, and told it that if it really wanted me to I could do  4/1s once I got to the 3 mile mark.  My brain answered "or even 3/1s" to which I told it "No. 4/1s"  It's like a toddler lives in my head when I'm tired and I have to convince the toddler to be quiet and let me do what I've got to do.  But today the toddler listened.

I'm running along and I get hooted at.  By a guy in a silver Cherokee with Semper Fi and Marine emblems on the back.  Uh, yeah.  I like being told I look good as much as the next girl, but having it shouted at me out of a car window while I'm running and you're driving and hanging your head out the window looking back at me is not me idea of a compliment.  I am not a piece of meat.  I had a friend once who liked it when men hollered at her.  I find it rude and it ticks me off. So then I started thinking about that and just chugging along.  And my hamstring decided to cut me a break.  Sure it was still sore, but it was whispering now instead of getting all feisty.  I think it knew that I was not giving in at that point.

I hit the corner where I know I have a little bit under 1 mile left right at 36 minutes.  I thought, well, I guess I said I was going to take it easy today and just kept running.  I thought about how it would be nice to finish my 4 miles in under 48 minutes because I've been enjoying the idea of my average running pace being under 12 minutes.  Even if some days it's high in the 11 minute range.  I would love to get down to 10 minute miles.  Of course, ultimately 8 minute miles would be lovely, but I am also in no rush to get there.  I don't like pain when I run, so it's going to take some time just to get down to 10 minute miles.  For me, the joy is in running and being out there doing it and I'm not so obsessed (except on race day) with how fast I go.  At the same time I like getting faster.  I just need to embrace the pain.  I know it.  And I'm getting there.

By this time it was 41 minutes in, my walking minute when it dawned on me that based on the distance I have left I can get this done in less than 48 minutes if I at least keep the pace I had right before I walked.  My hammies were still reminding me of their existence, but I told them that they could handle it. So I ran it on in. 

47:13, or essentially an 11:48 minute mile pace.  Under 12 minutes, so I was happy with that even if it wasn't by much.  Especially since I could feel myself holding back a bit because of my vocal hammies.  I felt good at the end.  Sweaty and hot, but good.  I had more distance in me, but I had to get to work.  But I will have a date with my foam roller this evening.  The hammies demand it.

A quick funny.  Last night we're eating dinner at the table and all of a sudden Angelfish falls off her chair.  Out of the blue.  I asked if she was okay and from the floor we hear her little voice, "I'm okay!"  Then Mr. Darcy asks her, "what happened?" to which she responds in an exasperated little tone, "Well, Daddy I fell down!"  A little while later I asked Ladybug what her favorite thought about our coming vacation at the beach was and she answered "the birthday cake!"  She also added that she was looking forward to building sandcastles too.  Angelfish said she can't wait to jump the waves in the ocean.  And I said that I'm looking forward to a week of just being with my girls and my hubby with no work.  Only a few more weeks - for me to learn how to make a cake... my SIL gave me some pointers, but told me that she wasn't sure that even she would attempt the cake I was attempting.  But if you go, you might as well go big right??