I wasn't totally prepared except for my bottle of water was frozen. This is the main thing since I live in Central Florida where it still reaches 90 some days. I did get up early and almost got caught up Sparking and other social networking while drinking my coffee and snacking on banana and peanut butter. Then it came to me - I had a half marathon to finish.

I've been dealing with some upper back/neck pain recently. I hesitated to schedule a massage and even last night I was having this pain. I decided to leave off my sports bra and instead use a tank top with a built-in bra. I'm really not sized for the need of a lot of compression and I was trying to recall why I decided to start using sports bras.

I drove to my gym to start since it was a safe start in the dark. My starting time was 7:01 so it was actually starting to get light. Right after I started I needed a potty break. I thought of waiting but my next stop was 6.5 miles away so I ducked into the hospital ER to take my break, then on my way again.

I've been using Runkeeper with my music but this time I decided to use my Jeff Galloway 13.1 app so I listened to him for a while. He stopped talking after about 1 mile leaving only his recorded voice giving cues when to run or walk. My mind started drifting away with the techno music going in the background. I noticed my pace was a lot better because the beat of the music was strong and steady, fast on the run and slower on the walk.

The weather was great - it stormed last night so it would be a while before the sun came out strong. I felt strong, and tackled my rolling hills like a champion.

Of course my mind drifted...I better tighten that bottle on my back, it's bouncing on my tailbone and may injure me....it sure is a lot of cars on the road-that's right this is a workday...wonder which way I should go when I get to the fork in the road...I miss this trail, haven't been here since Spring.....my back doesn't hurt, it was the sports bras after all...what am I going to do with the 3 I brought this week...who is messaging me while I'm running, the exercise dude probably, I haven't been to his free dance classes since Spring, I'm hungry......


The first time I glanced at my Garmin, it was exactly an hour since I started. I started on my Chomps, something new I was trying, followed by my first sips of water. The trail had left the road area and was headed towards about 1.5 mile stretch of wooded area. I continued my run/walk. About halfway through the wooded area I began to feel warm, maybe the woods made it more humid. I started seeing a lot of walkers, everyone is so polite and cheerful with their "good mornings", you can't help but smile.


I've reach my lakeview area, then lakeside and know time for my turnaround is coming up. Then I realize I didn't get any cues from the app that I'm halfway through. So I make my own turnaround but take a couple extra walk breaks as I eat more Chomps. I headed back, feeling weaker, wondering why. I decided to try an electrolyte tab in my water. I break it in half since my water is half gone. A little while later I'm feeling so much better and wonder why I've never tried these before especially since I've had them a year now. y last couple long runs were very ugly - I got hot and very weak on the previous long runs.


I reach the 3 mile left area and I'm so tired. I see an enormous hill ahead, the same one I slipped down earlier in my run. I walk up the entire hill, thinking "one foot in front of the other."

I see my gym up ahead and begin to think of my cleanup. I've been thinking ice bath because my legs are sore but now I'm thinking it would be great to just get in their pool. I go back and forth with that thought. I'm really not in the mood for an ice bath but I don't want to get in their pool dirty. I think of their outside shower and decide on the pool. I start back run/walking because of the excitement of a cool pool. It had to be at least 80 degrees and the sun was out.

Finally got to my car and turned all my gadgets off. I look in my pool bag I packed about a month ago and left in the car - just in case I was ever out and wanted to go to the pool. I see a pair of bedroom slippers so decide to leave my sneakers and socks in the car and wear my pool shoes into the gym. I change and grab an aqua jogger and head out. The pool is almost empty and I have the whole "beginners" lane to myself. I go down the ladder and slowly get in. Pool felt great! I do four laps, about 20 minutes.

It felt so good to walk out of that gym all refreshed, shampooed and showered. My bedroom slippers were closed toe and leather bottom so I could have gone anywhere but decided to go home. I had ideas to go fast food but knew it would negate some of the miles I just ran so I went home and made a fruit/protein/spinach smoothie. I've been real about good skipping the fast food joints and try to keep my fridge well-stocked with free foods.

Thanks for reading my blog, one of my thoughts was to take a recorder and journal all my thoughts during the long runs. I could write a book.