Running update: supertitioning like a pro. That's something.

So, I feel like I should tell you that I am, at this moment, writing this post from the sun-warmed comfort of my back patio.

Because HI THANK YOU WEATHER it has stopped raining for one godforsaken second. YAY.

So, obviously, when given the opportunity to work from home on a sunshiny afternoon that's not soaked in rain and misery, I took of my heels (even though they're the hottest), put on flip-flops (which are patently not the hottest because they're dirty and worn out) and dragged the laptop and cell phone out to the back .40 for some quality time under the bright shiny ball.

I'm sorry to keep rubbing it in, but the heat from the sun has dulled my senses to the point where I no longer know when I've gone too far.


In other self-congratulatory fun and at great risk of totally jinxing myself, I will tell you that I've managed FOUR sub-24 interval runs in a row which makes me want to high-five myself like a total ass and now I've developed one of those pro athlete-style superstitions (even though I can't even remotely be considered a pro anything) that revolves around my running attire having to be a certain way in order to Keep The Streak Alive.

And, by running attire, you certainly know that I mean my new running top which, as a good friend would say, is The Most.

While it may be The Most in some ways, it is also The Least in other ways, which is how it has become, in my mind, the source of my sub-24 interval running powers.

Like, I finish my runs in The Least number of minutes and seconds when I wear this top. And I get The Least amount of annoying comments about the chilly temps because of the skin-shielding power of its tiny short sleeves when I wear this top. And I sweat The Least of all my sleeve-having tops when I wear this top.

And that's the most The Least things I can think of. Because,well, we're all confused by that last paragraph.

Anyway, I now have a cozy little gross superstition to work into my pre-run repertoire and, while I have been running faster, I'm still pretty slow and I now have to worry about one more time-consuming thing before I can get my ass out the door and that is determining the status of The Top.

Is it clean? OK, no.
If it's not clean, is it at least not gross enough smelling YET that I can bear to be inside of it for 23:XX (awesomely fast) minutes and seconds? OK, maybe if I hold my head just so and don't, say, try to wipe my nose on the inside of the collar.
Let's go.

Do you see how gross this newly discovered superstition has made me? I'm disgusted by my own self. But I don't get down about it. Ho no. I just look at my last four interval times, smile proudly and then high-five myself, thus negating any self-pride I might have reclaimed by reviewing my interval times.

*Sigh*

Of course, there is the other issue of The Top to contend with, and one that can keep me entertained for the whole of a sub-24 run - Shouldn't I just get another top so that I am not running in a sweaty snot rag?

But, my mind being the fresh hot mess that we all know it to be, sends me round and round in the "What if I buy another short-sleevey top just in time for it to become officially tank-top season thus rendering the purchase superfluous and, well, it would mean more shit in my overflowing workout drawer of clothes. What if that?"

Like I've said before, it's a mess in my head. And also I won't be buying another top. I'll just be hauling Bubba's clothes out of the washer so that I can get down with some The Top washing before Saturday. Problem solved. Though I wish I'd solved it during one of those runs because that would have made them productive rather than torturous.

Back to the good news though - it's sunny, I've hit FOUR (4)(!) sub-24 interval runs in a row and my poor, helpless Virtual Partner is totally wasting away in my dust to the tune of an average 9:15 pace.

And while my shortish long run of the weekend (7 miles) wasn't in the Virtual Murder category (which would be sub-9:59), I did score a 10:13 pace, which by my standards is pretty good. In fact, it's the fastest pace I've managed on my shortish long runs since I've gotten back in the habit of wearing the Garmin while I'm out.

Remember, my goal is to sub-60 10K in April, so I do have some work to do (specifically, I need to run a sub-10 minute mile pace for 6.2 miles), but we're close. And this weekend I'll do 8, though I expect I'll be wearing my favorite tank-top for the occasion since it MAY get into the 60s around here.