Two week wrap up or something.....

FIVE WEEKS. Thats all the time that remains to train. I'm not going to lie I haven't been too impressed with my work ethic when it comes to my training over the past two weeks. I've let too many other things get in the way of my running after work, like playing beach volleyball, and the bachelor party in Chicago. Yes I know I was going to do my 20 miles down the lakeshore and it was going to be glorious, but..... when I settled into my hotel room "bed" also known as the floor, at 3AM that Saturday morning 6AM came and went with out so much as a thought of yeah this could work. Maybe it was the floor, maybe it was the 4 beers, and 2 vodka red bulls, when I haven't drank in the 4 months prior. I'm not sure, it also could be that even though we had two hotel rooms, we ended up with ten guys in ours. I thought it would be okay, just compensate and run on Sunday.... well long story short that is similar to the last one, it didn't happen. So there I was trying to salvage some time and last Wednesday night I decided i'm going to go to bed early and wake up early and get my run out of the way before work. Would you believe that I actualy dragged my butt out and onto the road at 5:30AM! Since you don't know me you don't really know what an accomplishment this is, and that's not even including the fact that I did it Friday morning too! Go Me! So there, I've found a way to get around having things to do after work that would get in the way of running. Can I keep it up? I'll let you know tomorrow. Now this past Saturday was supposed to be another 20 mile run....Supposed to be. I opted out because there was a 5k that I really wanted to run in the area. So I got out of bed early once again, and that's three times in a row for those keeping track! I arrived at the race location and had to wait in line at least 15 minutes to register. Which by the way I hate late registration, I really need to make up my mind on whether to run a race or not sooner than day before. I wasn't feeling like a million bucks that morning either, but I was determined to finish well and get a medal so when the "gun" went off I went out with the front of the pack. As I crossed the first mile and the timer said 5:28 I thought uh oh.... too fast. I was definately off my game besides the quick start, the line at the porta john was too long so I didn't get my pre race poo in. This could spell disaster, but I was more worried about why my hamstrings on my left leg were bothering me more and more with every step. Oh no, could I be getting an over use injury that I have been hoping to avoid? Telling myself it couldn't happen to me, and slowing down for the second mile, I trucked on, picked up my pace for the final mile, but no where near the speed of the first. I high fived my friends parents and uncle as I ran past their house, and finaly crossed the finish line. Now when I was at the mile mark I believe I was around 5th place, by the time the finish line crossed beneath me I was in 20th with a 19:25, and 3rd in my age group, which isn't bad and I got a medal for age group but I was still dissapointed. The rest of the day I took an Ice bath with plans of running my 20 miler on Sunday, and watched college football, where I was dissapointed again when Notre Dame lost to Michigan :( I'm not sure if I've mentioned but I'm a huge ND fan so that was not fun. Well Sunday came and went with no 20 Miles due to sore hamstrings and and overall body ache/sick feeling. So I spent the day on the couch feeling completely worthless. Monday I ran my easy four miles and today I got in an easy seven. I've decided with my hamstrings acting up everytime I try to pick up the pace for either speed work or a 5k race that I am going to back off on both until after the marathon and concentrate on just getting miles in. I think that will benefit me the most come Oct. 18th. I am Excited to say that I ordered a Road I.D. bracelet, wrist thingy today which should arrive in about a week. I figured better safe than sorry. Would hate to be laid up in a hospital bed under the name John Doe.... I don't think I look like a John anyway. So as long as nothing tragic happens until it arrives I'm all set.

Got to play some beach volleyball tonight which was awesome as always, and thats pretty much all I've got, So cheers to another week closer to my date with 26.2 miles of road.