Week Twenty-Three: Friday

So I didn’t run. I had an agency party followed by a previous agency party to attend and got home at around 10 pm. The second party had free booze so that was challenge enough.

Based on the poll results, I am going to run with the Clif Bar pace group as long as there is no problem getting signed up. To be honest I was actually going to say screw the poll and run by myself until I read an article about pace groups in Runner’s World magazine. I for some reason equated running with a group as cheating, but since I am still going to run the damn thing what does it matter if I am in a group.

Oh, and yes. I read Runner’s World. I am just a surprised as you are by this.

Week Twenty-Three: Thursday

Today’s run was enlightening. I finally get it.

The whole catalyst for this experiment was that I would be driving, usually to a fast food restaurant, by people on the road and think “Why are they doing that? What the hell is wrong with them?”. Then I would go back to thinking about what I would do if I won the lottery. (First Thing: Buy island)

I get it now. I set out to run 5 miles and went out as soon as I got home from work so that I would not get distracted by that adorable little child of mine. I set out on my usual path and was getting miserable somewhere during mile one. I had been so down on myself that I felt that I had to power through because of this stupid blog that no one reads. So I suffered for the next two miles when I finally hit the zone. This has happened before, but I so appreciated it this time. The zone is when you are not really exhausted and you could run for another hour and it would be no big deal.

Not only did I finish my 5, but since there was a break in traffic where I cross the street I did another mile. I would have done another 4 except Mrs. Fat Guy was expecting me at the house. Not only did I run that extra mile, but I sprinted the last ¼ mile. Granted, my sprint is more a trot, but still.

The amazing thing about this is that I did 6 miles in 57 minutes. I ran at a sub 10 minute mile pace. On the one hand this is great because it proves that I can do it. On the other hand, I am going to have to really focus this last week on maintaining an 11 minute mile pace for the marathon so I don’t burn out.

So, I get it. I felt so damn good after that run. I won’t go so far as to say that it makes up for the fact that I have not had a drink in 3 months and am about ready to use an entire bottle of mouthwash in 20 minutes in order to get a liquor buzz. But after some crappy runs and skipping training it feels very good to be able to run 6 miles and still want to do more.

Week Twenty-Three: Tuesday

Rain

Week Twenty-Two: Sunday

Mrs. Fat Guy and I decided to try Lake Como for the she walks/ I run super combo action. The lake is 1.6 miles around. I was all jazzed to get back in the swing of things and wanted to run the 9 miles that I was supposed to that weekend.

Well, things didn’t go down quite like I planned. I caught up with her when she was like ¾ the way around the lake and I was on my second lap. I decided that was just about enough running for me. There were some factors like hydration and hunger that may have contributed to my horrible performance, but ultimately it was just a lack of willpower.

I always feel so damn crappy after those bad runs. It really made me get a little nervous about this whole thing.

Week Twenty -Two: Friday

At this point I don’t remember my excuse. It was a B.S. one though. I have honestly have spent the last 5 minutes trying to remember what I did Friday night and nothing is coming to me. Keep in mind I am writing this on Monday.

This is really bothering me. My guess is that it was so mundane that I did not spend the effort to record what I was doing. I think what happened was that I was going to run after something and whatever it was ran late and it was dark by the time I was going to go. I guess.

Update: I was so bothered by my lack of memory that I called Mrs. Fat Guy. I didn't run because it was raining. To be more accurate, it HAD rained and that was enough for me to call it off.

Also, to be more accurate, the above is not an update because I did not post the post before I updated it.

Week Twenty-Two: Thursday

So I changed the schedule and now I can’t adhere to it. Typical.

I had to babysit on Thursday so I was unable to run. On Friday when I told co-workers this, they pointed out that I was not “babysitting” and rather parenting. That is still taking some getting used to. If I was babysitting, however, and have been doing it 24 hours a day for 10 weeks, that would be like $8,400 at $5 an hour.

Is $5 an hour too cheap? What do baby sitters make these days?

I guess I better figure that out before I get ripped off.

Week Twenty-Two: Tuesday

What the hell Fat Guy? Tuesday? This should be the Monday post. Every other time you have run a day late you have posted under the heading of the day that you should have run? What gives?

- An angry imagined blog reader

Dear angry Imagined blog reader –

Let me start by saying that you seem like a very attractive, intelligent person. Let me explain. TCM is on a Sunday. The training program has me running my long runs on Saturdays. In an attempt to get into the groove of running on Sundays, I am going to adjust the program so that I run Tuesday, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Fat Guy

So, in honor of screwing with my program, I decided to screw with my routine even more and run in some uncharted territory – The Lakes. Now, when one says “The Lakes” in the Twin Cities, no one questions what you are talking about. Calhoun, of the Isles, and Harriett. Mrs. Fat Guy picked me up from work and we went down to Harriett. My plan was to run around twice. On the second time around when I caught up with Mrs. Fat Guy I would walk with her and pride and joy. I made it around once without stopping, but I had to stop at about 27 minutes. I think that I was going pretty fast because I believe it is 2.6 miles once around. I walked for 3, and then since I was on my second lap I kept pushing myself because I thought Mrs. Fat Guy would be right around the corner. Not so.

I may have done 5 miles, it may have been less. I was out for 55 minutes. I was weaving in and out of people which increased my pace I think. I walked for a total of about 10 of those minutes. I am going to have to really monitor my pace for this marathon.