Week # 5

Things are starting to get tough here on the "Road to Marathon." My weekday runs went pretty well. Had a do a few of them on the treadmill, due to being too tired and cold to get out of bed in the early morning hours. My longer weekday runs were outside morning runs, freezing cold and raining for both. Friday afternoon I started feeling a little "under the weather" and went home from work early to take a nap (and some vitamins). It didn’t seem to help and I felt sick and tired the rest of the night.

And then came the SNOW!! And I’m not talking a little dusting of the stuff, but inches and inches and inches. I woke up early Saturday morning to get dressed and ready for my race in Forest Park. I bundled up as best I could and headed out, excited and nervous. By the time I got to the highway, I knew there was no way I could run in this weather. The snow was still falling in huge wet drops and there was at least an inch of wet icy slush covering the roads. I didn't know if they would cancel the race, but with an already weakened immune system, I didn’t want to take my chances running 8 miles with cold wet feet. I hear pneumonia is not fun. This is a picture of Forest Park taken around midnight on Friday - it was MUCH worse in the morning.

Regrettably, this threw me off course for the rest of the day and I wasn’t able to run at all. A little nap turned into a longer nap; a couple errands turned into a long expedition; and an early evening wedding came much earlier than expected. So, I did not get my long run in for the week. I know – it’s very very very bad of me! Skipping the weekly long run is the cardinal sin of marathon training. Fortunately, we’re not too high in mileage that I can’t make it up one day this week (hopefully today or tomorrow).

In the world of fundraising, this was a great week!! I’m now up to $1,671 – that’s 66% of my goal!! I’m continuously pleasantly surprised to see where the donations come from – some of people that I least expected have really gone above and beyond to help out. As I get closer and closer to the finish line and I have to say that I feel great about doing this. Despite my complaining and protestations about early mornings and cold weather, it doesn’t compare at all to dealing with cancer or chemotherapy. Every time I complain I have to "remember the cause" and feel good that I’m doing something to help others in their time of need. I’m so glad that I decided to do this.

In non-running news, this was an exciting weekend. Two of our best friends finally got hitched! John and Brooke had a beautiful winter white wedding. Despite the snow it was a complete success, with great food, an amazing band, best friends and much excitement! I couldn't get over how beautiful and romantic the snow made everything look! Ryan and I had a great time. Congrats to you both and thank you for letting us be a part of it!

Weekly recap:
Monday: 4.25 miles
Tuesday: 4.4
Wednesday: 6.15
Friday: 5.6

Total: 20.4 miles