Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Binge Life (Part 2)


We were still motivated after our first run, so each run that week got slightly better. The weeks started passing, and it was getting easier. But then we had to start doing long runs. In other words, more than 4 miles, and we all struggled. We didn’t want to give up, so we needed to make some changes.

We cleaned up our diets. We stopped boozing every night. Time of Our Lives stopped smoking. BFF took care of her ankle. I gave up burritos. It was hard work. Revenge running a half marathon sounds great at first, but then when you actually have to do it, it sorta sucks. I gutted out each of the runs, but when I met my friends to do our group run, I was the only one left in the group.

I needed to do this for myself and maybe by myself. It’s not as fun running by yourself. At least for me it wasn’t, but on the bright side, I was running longer runs, so at least I’d finally experience that “runner’s high” that Smug Runners/Happy

Couple had talked about. I ran 7-mile, 8-mile, and even 9-mile runs, and there was no high to be found. Nothing. I did sprints to increase my time. I ran longer distances than I was supposed to, but still no high. No nothing. I’d gotten higher by just walking around the village from inhaling second hand pot than from running 10-miles! I still couldn’t eat whatever I wanted. And with no end in sight, I realized running really wasn’t what it’s cracked up to be. WTF?
I had one of my longest and last runs in the park and who meets me there out of nowhere, but Time of Our Lives. She’d been majorly missing in action, but had been keeping up with the running despite being out of touch. She brought BFF who had a slower pace because of the bum ankle, but was able to run the entire course without stopping. We were in pretty good shape for the race the next week. I couldn’t believe it was finally going to happen.

The race was in Philly. We did a road trip down on Friday, thinking we’d hang out and relax until Sunday. But then while driving through Pennsylvania, we passed a casino

and decided to stop in. Smoking, drinking and gambling all night really isn’t a great way to prepare for a half marathon. We were only going to stay an hour, but we were winning money, and when you’re on a roll...

At 3 in the morning, I was coughing from inhaling tons of smoke, Time of Our Lives was almost broke, and BFF was limping from standing all night. We drove the rest of the way to our hotel, and got there while the sun was rising. But there was hope because we still had all day Saturday to relax.

We took showers and quick naps, and then went to the marathon check-in center to get our numbers and register for the race the next day. Starving from being up all night, and hung over, we were eating huge Philly pretzels while checking in. Who do we see, but Smug Runners/Happy Couple. They were checking in too. They looked well-rested. Tan. Lean. We were some sort of unkempt motley crew of degenerate gamblers, smokers, and gigantic pretzel eaters. We all said hello and talked about the race the next day, but when we left, I felt worse than before. Why is it that some people always have it together and others...?


TO BE CONTINUED...

11 comments:

  1. Yeah... I'm with you on the having it together thing. We should just get rid of those people. They're making the rest of us look bad. DOWN WITH TOGETHERNESS says I! UP WITH SCATTER-BRAINED, HARE-BRAINED SCHEMERS!

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  2. Good for you for going so far with it. I think folks who always look like they have it together,suck! Its just like when you run into folks without your make up. Those folks suck too.

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  3. Love your writing!
    Keep up the good work!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  4. Well, I think you have it more together than you give yourself credit.

    My philosophy is, life is too short to worry about those "that have it together." Live your life as though you're in charge and just have fun.

    BTW: Good job on the preparation for the race prior to the road trip! I think it likely put you in good stead regardless of the minor distraction on your way to the race.

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  5. You have just blown my mind. You are actually running miles? Don't say for a second that you aren't "together" because obviously you are! I'm not so sure about "Time of our Lives" and the BFF. Actually, I'm not so sure about you anymore either. Revenge "running"? Oh baby, just go have a revenge boink with a cute cab driver. Or get a revenge tummy tuck! Or some revenge new boobies! Revenge new shoes? Running? My son is a marathon runner and it makes me wonder if they mixed him up at the hospital with some other kid that really belonged to me. Looks like I need to come back there to help you prioritize.

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  6. Oh no, please don't take Linda's advice and have a revenge tummy tuck. That stuff's dangerous.
    Anyway, the people that always have it all together. That's called OCD and you can keep it. I bet they have nothing to write a blog about. "Just another perfect day where I got up at the crack of dawn, worked out, cleaned my house, read the entire paper and food shopped all before breakfast..." BORING. I much prefer being an unkempt, degenerate pretzel eater myself.

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  7. Every time I see an ex, I drop money out on the ground to give the impression that I have some.

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  8. I knew the minute I read the words "road trip" that trouble was just around the corner.

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  9. I just gave you for an award for Stylish and Versatile blogger.

    Check my page to see how it works

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  10. Why is it that some people always have it together and others???...just go with the flow?...it seems to make life more interesting...now I'm off to see what happened with the marathon (◕‿◕)

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  11. You were doing 7-9 mile runs??!!! I'm green enough to singularly save the planet. Ok, off of to read the last installment!!

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