Pushing the limit

Having my long run every Saturday morning creates a very unique issue: I like to go out late on Friday nights. I decided to use this week to test my limits a bit and see how late I can stay out and still have a successful run on Saturday morning. 7 Mary 3 was playing out in Rockford on Friday, so Bones, Duch, JTB and I made a little road trip. Because testing 1 limit is no fun, I decided to test another: how many drinks can I have Friday night and still have a successful run.

Tangent: While the locals at a run down bar in Rockford create some fun stereotypes in my head (most include long stringy hair and a Trans-Am), they completely blew my stereotype out of the water when no one screamed “Cumbersome, play Cumbersome” like some knucklehead has at every single 7 Mary 3 show I’ve ever been to. Good job Rockford locals. However, here’s an area for improvement…. Let’s limit the excessive high-fives (good rule for people everywhere) and air guitarring towards the band. In fact, for the 15 years that I have been going to shows, I have never seen anyone air guitar towards the band. Especially some dude who looks like Daddy Warbucks. Creepy.

So after a number of beers and a lot of shenanigans, the show ends and we get the boot at 1:45am. After driving back, and dropping the guys off in Naperville, I get home at 4:30am.

7:15 the alarm rings and I get up without a problem. For about 30 seconds I thought I might be the coolest guy ever. Then I throw my shorts and shirt on and grab my shoes. I bent over to tie the laces and almost fell over. I don’t know what happened, but my liver and whatever part of my body requires sleep they got together and reminded my brain that they hate me. I stood up for a few moments, tried to walk around, looked over at my mega comfy bed and ……woke up about 5 hours later.

Lesson learned: Have to go to bed before 4:30am, have to drink less than….well maybe a little less beer. Next week maybe I’ll try 3:30 and some Jack and Cokes.

I missed my Saturday group run, but have my pace #’s down so I made my run on Sunday morning. Holy poop it’s amazing how much more fun it is to run when you don’t have shin splints. This week’s run was 5 miles. Mile 1, no problem but a little tired. Mile 2, wow, this is easier than last week. Mile 3, half way there, maybe I’m a professional runner. I weigh 250lbs, so maybe I’m 2 professional runners. Mile 4, is that a pebble in my shoe. Mile 4.5, that can’t be a pebble because I don’t have rocks in my apartment that could have gotten in there. Mile 4.75, forget pebbles I think I have an asteroid in my shoe, but only a quarter mile now, don’t stop. Mile 4.9. I hate rocks so much, almost there, but who cares if I stop it won’t hurt anyone, shut-up no quitting, 1/10 of a mile, that’s nothing. Mile 5, can’t wait to see what’s in there, it is probably a rock the size of baseball based on how it feels, it’s….. nothing. I officially have a psychiatric problem. In addition to donations to my fundraising effort, I am now taking donations of Thorazine.

Going to the store for some new shoes and my water belt today. Forget fit, pronation and style; I hope they have green shoes. Green shoes make you run faster.

Lots of donations too, so a huge thanks to AB, Juan, Colin, Danielle, Jamie and Mandy. We are cranking away. Oh, and related to this, I learned how to use this cool scroll feature on the donation page to give thanks to the donors. Check out my webpage mastering skills

http://www.aidsmarathon.com/participant.asp?runner=CH-4072&EventCode=HN08

it’s on the lower left side.

22 total miles have been run so far over the last few weeks. 22 more than I have run in the previous 6 months, so I’m well on my way. This upcoming week will be 6 miles, which is the equivalent of running from Wrigley Field to the Sears Tower. Yikes.