Show me the way to go home
I’m tired and I want to go to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago
And it’s gone right to my head
I’m really exhausted from work, travel, and miles I’m putting in. I’m honestly trying my best. Yet, with that being said, there are certain realities I need to accept about my perception of myself as a runner:
- I’m not Kenyan.
- I’m not 150lbs.
- I’ve only been running for 1 ½ years.
- Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is going to take a minor miracle.
Week 5 was slightly better than the previous week. The major difference between the two was that I reached my target distance for the week…woohoo! The major similarity between the two was that I was equally slow…drats! In order to qualify for Boston, I have to run 26.2 miles at a 7’05” per mile pace or 3:05 for the entire race. Did I bite off more than I can chew? Yeah, probably.
Enough about Boston for now, the reality is that the weather and amount of travel for work as of late has been counterproductive. I’m hoping the weather will relent a little and I will certainly be traveling less for work thanks for having the highest T&E expenses YTD . Hopefully this will allow for better recovery, better eating, and less drinking.
Overall, my runs this week were okay, not stellar, but okay. Monday and Tuesday I was out in Albany and both runs were pretty solid. Although Monday’s run was at a good pace, it kinda sucked because I somehow forgot running shorts. That left me running in my super comfy, but very warm sweats. Problem? It was humid and 80 degrees at 6:30AM when I headed out. Needless to say, I made an emergency stop at Dick’s after work on Monday and picked up a pair for the following day. Tuesday’s run was great, even though the time didn’t reflect it. I decided to make the course slightly more entertaining by circling a rotary 8 times…thus throwing off my time. Chances are I looked like an ass to anyone witnessing.
Side effects may include random bouts of impulsive running in circles and looking foolish.
As for the rest of the week, Saturday marked the first run of any meaningful distance, clocking in at 15 miles. It sucked, from the beginning of the run to the end, the temperature spiked 20 degrees. Hey, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger…right? Oddly, I’m actually looking forward to the 18-miler coming up this Saturday. Go figure.
Alright, enough about running.
This weekend was pretty awesome in general. First, we met up with a couple that we only knew from Instagram…and they didn’t catfish us. Four margaritas later and I think we have some new friends, I hope.
Then on Saturday, I recreated the amazing tomato salad that I enjoyed at Etete in D.C., but with a Habanero kick. My goodness, sooooo fresh.
No caption necessary…wait, that’s a caption.
Finally, on Sunday, I threw my weekend detox out the door and tried my hand at making homemade “runner’s” mojitos. I’m not going to say I’m good at everything I do…but I really am (jk). I highly recommend you try this recipe (it will help you drown the sorrows of your recent crappy runs):
The Runner’s Mojito
Step 1: Simple Syrup
1 cup – Stevia
4 cups – water
Bring water to a boil, add Stevia, stir until it dissolves, remove from heat and chill. Keep it in a water bottle or some kind of container. Plenty for
rounds 1-10.
Step 2: “Runner” Mojito
¼ lime
12 mint leaves
1 shot silver rum
4 tbsp. simple syrup
1 ½ shot low sodium club soda
Muddle the lime and mint leaves thoroughly, then add rum, simple syrup, and club soda and lightly stir. Fill the remainder of the glass with ice and stir lightly once more.
Step 3: Drink
Step 4: Repeat!
The Runner’s Mojito…a healthier version of the classic.
So why is this The Runner’s Mojito? Well, it’s refreshing and since you’re using stevia in the simple syrup and low sodium club soda, it’s healthy…right?
Anywho. Last week, someone mentioned that Weeks 4 and 5 at the toughest and I’m holding out hope that things will get better. Either way, I’m going to plod along and bust my ass…I just want the confidence to come back. Hellooooo, where did you go?!
Categories: Running
Pass Me a Green Drink! 
Week 7: Shaving and Cicadas 
Week 4: Rough…to say the least 
The Slant 
I’m right there with you on the four points at the beginning of your post! Especially the last. You will do great though. Just looking forward to an 18 mile run is a positive thing!!!
At first I thought you meant the lyrics. Thanks for the encouragement bud. It has to get better at some point…right?!
It did for me over the past couple of weeks. I don’t know if it is soon enough as I only have 7 weeks to go before my marathon, but we runners are used to such odds, right?
We are. Train hard and hope things fall into place. Home stretch!
Thanks! You too.
MmMM I don’t think I have ever had a Mojito, looks delish. Keep up the good work!!!
Hali, you’ve got to get on these. Summer’s greatest libation!
Thanks for the encouragement.
First I want that mojito and second I want another mojito and then I want to gobble all of your tomato salad because I love tomatoes. As for the running…we’ve all been there-questioning our goals and not really seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Cut yourself a little slack (and I don’t mean by staying the obvious duh your not a Kenyan) but my goodness have you ever considered how much stress traveling puts on you? Maybe your not recovering enough from life events + added training workouts. It’s ok to maybe go out and run without a watch super slow and enjoy the run as a “off day” and not bust your butt on a workout. I think your on track to reach Boston I just know it, you and I are racing on the same day so we have to both BQ. You got it, keep your head up, and wipe the slate clean and start this week off fresh. I’m rooting for yah!
The best part of that post really was the non-running related material. Those pictures def have me hankering for a mojito and tomato salad as well! Guess I’ve done good on that one.
It’s true, I am hard on myself, always have been and probably always will be (it’s just my mental make-up). Luckily, I have a couple weeks here of no travel and with any luck, some of the humidity will break and I can regain some confidence. In addition, my hammies are all whacked, so have to get those tended to. I think I just may be able to right this ship yet!
Thanks for your encouragement, it means a lot and certainly helps when battling myself. Hope your runs this week are going well!
Ha, I like the ‘bite off more than I can chew’ – I think I do that a lot!! Good luck in your training as you chase down your Boston qualifier!!