This post brought to you by the letter C.

Kids, today's post is brought to you by the letter "C."  That's "C" for....


...CRAZY TONGUE

The tongue is in control now.

...COMPLETED!

...Can't ever run the pace I'm supposed to run...

Nope.

...C'MON LAZY DOG

...and CATS DON'T CARE ABOUT RUNNING.

So much not caring here.

Can we get to the learnings now?  Yes, we can:

• Crazy as it sounds, large dog and I were out and about on our run at 4:20 AM this morning.
• Can large dog get any lazier after just a 5 mile run?  Yep.  He can.

• Can you also believe that for once I'm not falling asleep while writing a post?
• Coffee.  That's why I'm not falling asleep.
• Close-ups of that dog tongue probably shouldn't be a regular thing on this blog...unless I have nothing else to post.
• Crafting all these learnings to begin with the letter C was harder than I thought it would be.  I totally admit I googled "c" words.

Tomorrow's workout: Cycling!

Random long run thoughts

I experienced this thing called "productivity" today. I got up at around 5:30 AM, cooked myself some breakfast, cleaned the house and vanquished the animal fur, did two loads of laundry, ate lunch, and then headed out the door to do that 13 miler I was supposed to do yesterday with large dog attached to me.

Large dog be like, "see the crazy I have to put up with?"

Large dog only stuck around for 8 of those 13 miles, mainly because he kept dragging me into ditches so he could stop, turn around, and stare at me like the running jerk that he is.  So I ditched him at the house and then did the last 5 on my own.  This run was supposed to be at marathon pace (9:20), so let's take a peek how I did:

I'm a failure.

Those two really slow miles are because I had to stop back at the house - once because Mother Nature called yet again and the last time to drop off the ditch-resting dog.  But other than that I ran much too fast, which as well know by now is NOT a good strategy for me to actually make it to the finish line without completely falling apart.  At least I'm consistent in applying a bad strategy, and consistency is the key.  To failing, apparently.

Anyway, let's not dwell on such thoughts.  Let's instead dwell on the random thoughts that crossed through my brain as I was running those 13 miles:

• What shoes am I going to wear for my marathon?  The lucky shamrock Launch 5s or the Levitates?  I can't decide.
• This 30 degree weather in April is so much BS.
• Large dog sure is stopping to pee a lot.  Does running destroy a dog's kidneys?  I hope not.  Something to Google later.
• Did I put on enough Body Glide?  I don't want to set the dogs off barking again after I scream in the shower.
• It's only 13 miles.  I can run faster than my marathon pace for that.
• Man, I'm getting a little winded.  Must be the cold.  Or that fact that I'm running too fast.
• I think this base layer shirt has seen one too many long runs.  It's bad when I can smell myself.
• Are those dogs going to come eat me? Stay in your yard...stay...in...your...yard......
• I'm so glad I found a new scary story podcast to listen to while running.  It's too bad their narrators are extremely annoying.
• Man.  I'm really getting winded for some reason.  I have to stop for a second. I'm a complete wimp.
• Why am I getting so winded?  *looksatwatch* Maybe it's because I should slow the *bleep* down.
• Still not slowing down....let's slow down, legs.  Please.  Seriously.  C'mon.
• Sure, let's bust out the last quarter of a mile at 8:50 pace.  Makes sense even though I've been telling myself to slow down the entire time.
• I'm a moron who can't slow down.

So this running too fast thing...right now the plan for my marathon is to run the first 3 miles at a 9:30 pace and then speed up.  I'm not holding out high hopes for that plan right now.  But hey - what matters right now is that I actually have a plan.

Learnings matter too:

• Right now I'm leaning more towards the Levitates than the Launches.  This will have to be a last-minute wardrobe decision, methinks.
• I just have to get disciplined and run the pace I'm supposed to.
• And now let's remind ourselves that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
• And by "road to hell" I mean my marathon course.
• And if you hate bulleted lists, this is a post from hell for you.

Tomorrow's workout:  A bike ride and a little weight work.

A tempo run limerick. With pictures.

There once was a runner named Terie

Who's running partner was all brown, black, and hairy

We went a-running tempo,

Going too fast and not slow

Making Terie so stupid it's scary.

Lame limerick learnings:

• Confession:  I totally had to google the structure of a limerick before writing this.
• So I guess I haven't learned my "let's try and run our tempos at the right damn pace" lesson.  This was supposed to be at marathon pace (9:20).
• I was supposed to do 5 miles at tempo, but, you know, got up 15 minutes late and had to shave off that last mile.  Better some of the run than none.
• Large dog was SO HAPPY it was warm enough for him to run with me that he celebrated by dragging me into many, many ditches.
• Please feel free to express your amazement at my awesome limerick-writing skills in the comments.  

Tomorrow's workout: Total body, baby-I have some new Cathe workouts to try!!