00:38:57

That's me waving...

Right, so I'm still running even though I've only been yammering about cake and sewing and cucumbers so it's ok if you're taken off guard by this post.

You might rightly think I'd gone totally inactive since I think the last time I said anything running at all was back in March when I made some vague reference to my wussiness since I still hadn't signed up for the Rock 'N Roll half in October, but hey look at me! I signed up for a 4.2 mile race in May!

Anyway, that's why the time looks all weird. This was a 4.2 mile race to commemorate Pat Tillman and since he wasn't #31 or #62 or #131 when he played for the ASU Sun Devils (um, he was #42, but you knew that), we ran a random 4.2 mile course (with surprise hills, yay) which provided very little for me in the way of useful race information except that I appear to have shaved some serious time off my mile/min time.

I do believe that's a 9.16 min/mile time right there, folks.

Which is down from 10.03 min/mile last November, 11.46 min/mile in October (I can't be expected to keep up a good mile time when there are 13 whole miles to run, come on) and 11.05 min/mile last April. Plus - there were hills! Don't forget the fucking stupid surprise hills that were nowhere to be seen on the race site since they didn't have an elevation map I could find despite all my extreme eyeball searching.

Oh well. Hills or no, it appears that the torturous interval training that Kelli suggested might actually be working. As in, I was feeling guilty for only running 4.2 miles on a training weekend when I was supposed to be running 9 miles, so instead of running the race twice (thank you, Bubba, for this hysterical suggestion), I ran 5:1 intervals and tried not to die when one interval landed me right at the base of a surprise hill.

That particular one minute of interval sprinting was a lot more like interval chugging at the speed of a brisk walk because of the big uphill you know.

WHATEVER - I improved my time on paper, which makes me feel better about not running the full 9 required by my very technical training schedule and then afterward I went and treated myself to a perfectly sized small Camelbak for the upcoming long runs that will require water.

I worked through last year's training by ditching out at schools and parks to drink all fast-like from the skanky water fountains and I won't do it again this year. No no. I am going to look like a loon out running super slow, sucking down water from my backpack and maybe even eating some gel shots because they gave us a bunch after this race and I figure, why not.

So, I'll be the weird slow girl who Thinks She's So Hardcore out running with her Camelbak on and doing Jell-O shots even though she's traveling at a snail's pace and huffing like she's on the verge of certain death. And I'll thank you all not to judge me or point me out to your friends if you see me on the street.

Also, in case you're worried about my sodium levels (and who isn't!?), I have a strict strategy in effect for that: Race Fries. As in, after every race, regardless of the distance, Bubba takes me for fries (and also usually a cheeseburger) to re-establish the sodium lost through my relentless sweating.

Race Fries

It is a very important part of my training and we can just go ahead an ignore the fact that I'm probably negating the fat-burning effects of running by enjoying this not-lowfat meal immediately afterward. Whatever.

Wuv you!

And just as a quick status update, I have still not yet officially signed up for the half marathon in October for which I am currently training, wearing a Camelbak like a fool and eating Jell-O shots in public. Like I said, I'm a wuss.