This is what we did on Saturday. An 8k. Why? I'm still not sure and my legs definitely never want to do another one. Let me just say that I am NOT a runner. I haven't run for a few weeks and when I do it's not for very long and I can't go very long without walking. I've never enjoyed running but Jeff has taken it up and well, it's supposed to be so good for you, yadda yadda, so awhile ago I decided I'd try to take it up. Well, my progress has been mediocre at best. I just can't seem to push myself to get any better. Or maybe I'm just a wimp...okay, I'm definitely a wimp. I've always thought that people who ran long distances had to have a screw or two loose. Why in the world would you want to run for hours on end? Do you hate yourself? But people really seem to enjoy it so I thought maybe I could force myself to enjoy it too.
You may be asking yourself, then why the heck did you run an 8k if you hate running? Well, let me first say that I'm using the term 'run' very loosely. And secondly, I think I might have a few screws loose myself. Jeff and Lance convinced me to give it a try....and we got a t-shirt (I was going to say free t-shirt but with what we paid to enter the race, it definitely was not free. And no, I cannot believe that I actually paid to run.). They convinced me that I'd have more confidence after crossing the finish line after "running" 8 kilometers (p.s. why do they measure these races in kilometers? We don't use the metric system here, remember?). If you can run for ten minutes, you can run for an hour is what they told me. Well, I knew I was gullible but jeez, you might as well tattoo 'idiot' on my forehead cause that's the biggest lie I've ever heard. For some odd reason I felt that if I didn't do it I would regret it. They say it's the world's fastest 8k cause it's mostly downhill but I think that's a lie too. Cause I'm pretty sure only the last .5k was downhill.
Well, maybe I do feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing the race even though I didn't run the whole way. When I did run it was at a snail's pace (there was an old guy power walking -- in fairly short shorts I might add -- that was going faster than me). However, I think I lost a little bit of self-esteem as 7-year-olds passed me, 70-year-olds passed me, guys in really short shorts passed me (is this really necessary people, really?) big people, little people...you name it, they passed me. Am I the least fit person in this area of fried food and heart disease? Jeff had to remind me that mostly people who have been running for awhile are crazy enough to sign up for an 8k and that made me feel a little better. Oh, you mean I'm the only idiot who can barely run for 10 minutes straight that signed up to run 5 miles? I probably would have passed out on the side of the road if it weren't for Jeff who decided to give up a decent finishing time and run with me and encourage me the whole way (and to make sure I wasn't kidnapped by any rednecks along the way).
So anyway, I made it. I'm alive even though I can barely walk. I think I'm glad I did it. I'm not sure if I'll ever get the hang of this whole running thing.
But, if you've learned anything from my experience it should be
1. Just because you were born in Kenya does NOT mean you can run like the wind, or run at all for that matter. No matter how much you wish it were true.
2. Do not, I repeat, do NOT listen to Jeff and Lance when they try to convince you to do something that seems even the slightest bit ridiculous (even though I can now say I "ran" in an 8k).
3. And don't eat barbecue six hours before you run. Not. A. Good. Idea.
Our little puppy is not so little anymore
(the bowl in the background is covering up a cable that comes through the floor so she doesn't chew on it...we don't usually leave bowls on the floor)
She got a bee sting and her lip was huge! How sad is that face! It didn't really seem to phase her though.
