On Life, Love, and Running: A 47-Mile Melting Pot

It's been a full two weeks, and 47 miles, since I've blogged, and here are the titles I'd have chosen for a blog on each respective run:

Grumpy, Grumbling 8 from Mrs. Belligerent Face
22 Miles and One Hell of a Fundraiser
A Sweet and Sultry 5 with JRizzle (and a Followup Six-Pack and Pizza)

and lastly, yesterday:
Whew! At Long Last, Some (12) Good Miles!

The quick summary of these, though probably apparent from their titles, is this:

Grumpy, Grumbling 8 from Mrs. Belligerent Face (March 26): I admit the last few weeks have been troubling in terms of my running--I grumpily did this solo 8-mile run last Thursday purely because my training schedule called for it. As is my wont, however, I did arrive back home slightly less surly than when I had left. (Good, running, good.) Some days, and more so now that my training is nearing its close, it's hard to motivate to get out the door--mostly because I've logged a LOT of miles just since Christmas, but also, I'm sure, partly due to the ever-dwindling days to the marathon--just 13 days now! AH! And it doesn't help that my beloved, and my pooch, would be a nice way to spent the evening...this picture is of us at our PR at the Hyannis Half in February.

22 Miles and One Hell of a Fundraiser (March 28): Saturday came along with a busy day planned--22 miles with Dana-Farber, an out and back course from BC, culminating in one last ugly stretch up Heartbreak, in the morning, and my fundraiser at Tommy Doyle's Irish pub in the evening.

The run was a rocky one for me--plagued with an upset stomach, and an achy left knee. I grumpily (I know! Two grumpy runs in a row?!) conceded the day and logged the miles, though. I've decided to view this one as a victory--if I can 22 miles not feeling just the thing, and grumpy to boot--well, the 26.2 on Marathon Monday should be a cakewalk. Which is good, since I don't mind walking, and I do like cake. The best part of this run was the first 10 miles--complete with the good company of fellow DFMC runners Jim, John, and Brenda. The last 12, the solo miles--well, I survived them just fine in the end! It doesn't hurt when your better half is available at two water stops for a quick pep talk and shoulder squeeze...

Later, my mood much restored after half a pepperoni pizza, Jared and I took care of the last details before the fundraiser that night. The folks at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square were extremely accommodating, and the best of hosts--both helpful and generous in their time and efforts to pull of the evening.

The great news is that a lot of people showed up--friends, fellow runners, and large numbers from the gym (likely less due to the fundraiser, and more so to the fact that it was "League Night Out" as well, but c'est la vie...), and I raised over $800 for Dana Farber! This brings me perilously close to the fundraising minimum of $3,000, but not quite as close as I'd like to be to my goal of $5,000--if you haven't feel free to donate--the quick and easy link is on the right of my blog...hint, hint:)

A Sweet and Sultry 5 with JRizzle (and a Followup Six-Pack and Pizza) (April 2): Thursday night rolled around, and it was time again, to stop putting off running--which I've managed to do for the last several Tuesdays...very bad, Abigail, very bad. With my better half's sore hip on the mend, I was itching to get out and enjoy some easy, loafing miles with him. We planned our course to take us by Tommy Doyle's to pick up the fundraising money, with the total mileage from home and back somewhere in the neighborhood of 5.25. Taking into account our discussion of pizza and beer and ultimately, our stop to pick up the latter before walking home the last few blocks (perhaps consuming one of the aforementioned beers en route), I'm thinking it ended up more along the lines of 5 miles...I'm not sure what it is about the post-run pizza, but twice this week, it seemed just the thing, as upon arriving home, we called in an order for delivery.

Whew! At Long Last, Some (12) Good Miles! (April 4): Ah, at long last, I am up to yesterday--and at long last, back to an enjoyable, strong run. There is something in training for a marathon that begins to consume much of your life--fitting the time in to run, and to fundraiser, and to also keep the time you need for yourself. This last is where I struggle the most, as its easy for me to push aside my personal to-do list in favor of all the other bits and pieces of life--the work deadlines, the miles that need to be run, the time I want to spend with my beloved. This weekend I had decided to just relax...to take the time I needed for myself, to do some of the things on my list, to try to get back to where I need to be in my running and in my life--more at peace with all of the wonderful things about it, rather than being caught up in the granular task-by-task deadlines and things to do. I am a very lucky woman, in life, in love, and in fact, in nearly all ways--and at long last, the run on Saturday, one filled with sunshine and strong miles, served only to reinforce that feeling.

The rest of the weekend has been the same--viewing the tasks I want to do for myself as less than insurmountable. While I have chipped away at them, in the absence of my beloved (off on the last winter trip with the Adventure Club), there is, of course, something missing--my better half to share it with. Copley and I (and as you can see, Chester the Cheetah) have spent our time this weekend wisely, with equal parts getting things done and sheer relaxation, but we're both ready for JRizzle to be back home now...

And now, to close what is surely the longest blog post I've written yet--a reminder to myself, and to my handful of readers that still check after this lengthy, lengthy absence...only 14 days, 23 hours, and 3 minutes until the big day...