“Yes, I am a pirate two hundred years too late
The cannons don’t thunder there’s nothin’ to plunder
I’m an over forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late” – Jimmy Buffett 

 

I turned 43 on Thursday and I ran 30 miles this week. I’m not excited about 43 but, it is better than the alternative so, I’ll take it. I often wonder, where my running is concerned, if I really am an over 40 victim of fate. I really wish I had started my running career prior to age 41. Would I be faster now and less achy after long runs? Should I have run a marathon in my 20s? Would I have been able to qualify for Boston in my younger days? Then, I tell myself, “better late than never” and just leave it alone. They say 40 is the new 30 but I don’t think 43 is the new 33! I am just tired and kind of achy.

Something this week that was really fun as part of Saucony 26Strong was to record the Another Mother Runner podcast with our coaches and my fellow cadet, Alison. We recorded it on Skype on Wednesday and it was great to gab with them about how the training is going. There was a lot of laughing, which I needed.

I ran 15 miles this morning. Longest run ever. Hardest run ever. I really need it to not be so damn humid. Why do I live in the South? I intended to take a photo of myself and my running friends at the end of the long slog this morning but, we were so gross and wet, no one wanted to have their picture posted, least of all, me! I really need to start taking some pictures to post on here and to remember all of this years from now. I did take this picture of my sweaty running clothes and thought I would claim I melted like the Wicked Witch of the West:

But, I’m still here. My pace was much slower today than it has been so I got mad at myself. I read an article this week in Competitor Magazine about running in humidity and how it greatly affects your performance. I have to keep reminding myself of this point. I made it through 15 miles, my longest run to date, but I can’t get over that I had to go slow. I also can’t wrap my head around the fact that I will have to travel another 11.2 miles after the brutal distance this morning. Someone please tell me it will all get better when it is not so hot and humid! I realize the race is not until November but doubt is creeping in about my ability to do this. The first 8 miles were actually really good. The last 7 were misery.

I really have to give credit for making it this morning to Sissy and Laurie. I ran 2 on my own at 6 AM before the group run. We ran 7 as a group because this was a cutback week for the Fleet Feet Full program (hey, Dimity, where are my cutback weeks?) and then, Sissy and Laurie agreed to run another 5 with me. Thank goodness for all the greenways around here because, if we could not have done at least half those 5 on the shaded greenway, I might not have made it. Sissy is a constant in my running. She has been on runs with me at least twice per week since January and I really could not make it without her. Laurie is a new running friend but I wish I had met her earlier. She stays perky and enthusiastic through the miles. Even though she is using the NYRR training plan, with fewer miles than me, she is willing to hang in there with me for the extra miles I have to run. I had to run the last 1.5 miles at the end by myself – there were a lot of walk breaks in there – running past the dumpsters behind Staples and the dry cleaner while everyone waited for me at the cafe at Whole Paycheck. Not so fun but I got it done. I started thinking I was too old for this shit. So, the graphic below is a fitting way to end Week 9 – I am the world’s okayest runner. That is going to have to be good enough for 26.2 miles.