What happens when you spoil a child and then take away her favorite plaything? Well after the wailing and kicking and screaming fit are over with, that's when you realize that you've spoiled the child in the first place. But of course it's too late by this point. I have become that spoiled child. Heather, my running partner has become that luxury that I don't want to give up and have become accustomed to having on my long runs. She's the reason I don't have to take anti depressant drugs or pay for expensive therapy on some guys couch. She makes me laugh and forget the miles. And as I found out this week, she's saving me a lot of money on buying a gun that my husband insists that I need to pack on me if I'm going alone in the pitch black of early morning or late at night. Can you imagine?

Heather had her knees worked on this week and was banned from doing the 20 miler. I don't know who had it worse, her NOT being able to run or me knowing that I'd have to do it alone. I woke up at the bright and early hour of 4 a.m. to eat, looked outside at the pitch black that it was and went back to bed. I was just too nervous (scared) to run in the outer part of the city where no one would hear my screams for help. Waiting until it was light wasn't any better because I figured by the time I'd finish it would be 1000 degrees and I didn't want to do it. I'd already told Heather that she'd be just fine not doing the 20 miler, that it was only one week and she'd be fine, so talking myself out of the run should have been just as easy. I went school shopping with the kids, canned some peaches and was miserable the whole time having that run in the back of my mind. Finally at 6:45 my husband shoved me out the door and made me run it. I was miserable and was going to be until I did it. It was 93 degrees.

The first hour was hot but o.k. I made sure to drink every mile and aside from thinking that the lining of my nostrils were going to burn up and start bleeding (you know, like in the movies right before someone dies...) from running past the very ripe sewage treatment plant, things were good. The sun was going down and it was cooling off. At about mile 10 I realized that I was in the same dark predicament that I was in earlier that morning. I was alone and it was DARK. As in no moon, pitch black dark. Janz had come to bring me my headlamp and more water and mosquito repellant but had forgotten my hat. My plan was to head to the track and run some laps so that I didn't have to get further away from home. I got there and started to run only to get myself all freaked out there. I was the only one there. It was so dark that I couldn't see the bleachers or if someone was hiding on the side. Plus we have some construction going on at our high school and I was nervous about that. Then a car pulled over to the side of the road, turned off its lights and just sat there. I ran a couple more laps and then stopped to get a drink. I decided that I was just too nervous to stay there so I got out my phone to call my husband to tell him I was leaving and as soon as I pulled open my phone the car turned on its lights and pulled away. That didn't help me at all. After I met my husband again and he insisted I get and stay on a well lit road or come home, I headed up to Main Street and ran up and down that a couple of times. By this point I was done mentally as well as physically. Only my calf was really bothering me. So I only completed 18 and 1/2 miles. I took a nice ice bath, drank a recovery drink and went to bed. Kuddos to all of you out there who are brave enough to do it alone. I'm just glad Heather's back in the game and I won't have to do anymore longs runs alone. This summer training is tricky.

Monday: 5 mile bike ride with the trailer. Have I mentioned that this should count for double. Really it should.

Tuesday: 3 mile recovery run. Calves are still very sore.

Wednesday: 8 mile speed workout

Friday: 18 1/2 mile run. Calves are really sore.

Saturday: 4 mile bike ride

Is it really August?

Saturday's run was interesting. It was an adventure. Instead of August weather we experienced more like February's weather. I woke up to the sound of rain. Normally I love running in the rain. It's my favorite weather to run in. But it was unusually cold. We were running down a canyon. And it was still dark because it was 6:00 in the morning. I debated wearing a long sleeve shirt over the top but didn't want to have to mess with another something around my waist so I left it home. Plus I always heat up pretty quick so I knew I'd be o.k. I've decided that I need to get some arm warmers. They would have been perfect on this day and probably for all of spring and fall. They're on my list.

So the interesting highlights include me HAVING to find a bush to relieve myself for the first time ever. Heather was good enough to stand as a lookout up on the top of the road and tell me if I could be spotted.

We watched a hawk hover in the wind and then dramatically dive down into the weeds and catch a mouse right in front of us. After returning to it's nest it hovered right over the top of us. It was SO cool.

And last, but not least, it poured. And poured, and poured. I kept wondering if our husbands were going to come and rescue us. If either of us had cell phones I'm afraid we could have called for help. Our arms looked like they were sunburned because they were so cold and were just getting pelted by the rain. We were both soaked. Every step felt like I was stepping in a puddle, which I wasn't. My shoes were just sloshing like I was. We made our way around the reservoir and headed back down the canyon. There was a river running along side of us and the cars going 60 mph were sending out walls of water every time they passed us. There was only one big wall of mud by a huge semi truck. I'm sure I let out a little scream as I saw it coming and turned my head and body just in time to get a back full of water and mud.

Like I said, it was quite an adventure.

Monday August 10th- 6 miles with hills

Tuesday August 11th- 11 mile bike ride. Visited the chiro that morning. He worked those IT bands pretty hard. Told me to take the next day off because I'd be sore. He wasn't kidding. I have bruises again!

Thursday August 13th- 7 mile run. Was supposed to be a tempo run but was one of the most miserable runs of my life. I made all the classic mistakes: didn't fuel up after my last workout, started too late so it was HOT, started off the tempo running my speed pace (After two miles of that I was done!). Consequently it was a struggle to finish the run. I had NO energy. It was definitely NOT a tempo run. Later that night we went on a 5 miles bike ride with the trailer. I was still feeling drained. Bad day.

Friday August 14th- 4 mile easy run, 8 mile easy bike ride

Saturday August 15th- 16 mile run down the canyon and around the lake

Gotta Love those Step Down Weeks!

I've never really trained in the summer. Not seriously. And not for a marathon. I feel like I can't miss a single work out or the whole race will be in jeopardy. I know this is probably not true but I don't want to leave anything to chance. So vacationing becomes a challenge. One thing I really like about this training schedule is that it has a break week. The mileage increases for 3 weeks and then you get a step down week. I am finding that I need those weeks both physically and mentally. Somehow the timing was just right for our little trip. I did miss one running day but don't really feel too bad about it. My IT bands and piraformis have been bugging me a little since last week. I've been to see the chiro twice so hopefully that helps. I keep thinking that getting help before I'm in total pain will pay off in the end.

Monday August 3rd- 10 mile bike ride, boating fun

Tuesday August 4th- 7 mile run

Wednesday August 5th- 10 mile bike ride, rock climbing

Friday August 7th- biking on trails and canoeing

Saturday August 8th- 7 mile run

The first of three

Just a few ways that you know you're on a 20 mile run:

* the week worth of complaining and stories about your combined 12 kids as well as in laws, ex-husband, and other problems have all been thoroughly hashed out and problems solved during the first half of the run. (Maybe the world's leader's should all talk about their problems on a long 20 miler. Just a thought.)

* you've seen roadkill in two of every kind. (same concept as Noah's ark, just backwards. Then your running partner points out that there are two of you.)

* the flies stop following the cows and start following your stink.

* your whole lower half is numb yet every body part from your bellybutton on down hurts.

* the last 4 miles consist of naming every part that is hurting.

* the delirious laughter set in and the slightest little thing will set it off.

* at the end that inevitable sense of accomplishment sets in and overrides the extreme pain if only for just a few moments.

Monday July 27th- 10 mile bike ride

Tuesday July 28th- 5 mile tempo run, upper body weights

Wednesday July 29th- 9 mile bike ride with the trailer and monster headwinds

Thursday July 30th- 5 miles with hills, upper body weights, 6 mile bike ride

Saturday Aug 1st- 20 miles!