By the time I got home from school around 6:30 pm, it was still 85 degrees outside and humid. There was no way I was running in this weather. So off to the gym I go. I felt guilty today as I saw a woman running carrying a water bottle. That’s what I should be doing, not going to the gym. Think of the carbon footprint I am leaving. I am driving to the gym, to run in an air conditioned and artificially lit facility on an electric treadmill. Seems kind of stupid, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, that’s as far as my thoughts went. I didn’t feel guilty enough to turn the car around to run outside.
So, I get to the gym and weigh myself. 154. I lost 6 pounds. ONLY 6 pounds. For the past ten days I have had no processed foods, no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeinated coffee ;and, in my few cups of decaf, I used unsweetened soy milk. I ran 48 miles. I didn’t even have dessert, Tiramisu (mmmmmm), at my husband’s boss dinner party. Actually, all I ate at the lovely catered affair was salad! After all that, only 6 pounds. I felt like a biggest loser contestant who knew they were about to be voted off. Dejected, I walked into the gym to do my run.
I passed this guy on a treadmill, who I could tell was going fast with his long strides. I looked and he had a speed of 8.1!!! He already did 4 miles and was going strong. 8.1! I don’t even know how fast that was. I put my mill on, and set it at 6.5. I could see Mr. Runnerman gliding a few treadmills to my left. Make me sick. Anyway, I run and think how boring this was. I brought my Ipod, but the connection to the headphone doesn’t work, so I had to take that whole contraption off my head. I was so bored. I wish I was outside. The TVs are not in a good place, but I couldn’t hear them anyway. I just kept looking at the seconds tick by and the miles slowly pile on. So boring. I hate running.
Finally, at 3.8 with only the magical .2 to go I decided to risk it all and set the treadmill for 8.0! I bolted. I was running my little heart out trying to keep pace, willing myself to keep going. Only a little more, You can do it. Come on. Finally I saw 4.00 come on the screen, and mercifully, the treadmill slowed down to the Cool Down phase. 8.0 was a 7:30 mile per minute pace. Unbelievably fast. How do people run so fast over such a long distance? Then I remembered the marathon runners who ran at about a 5:04 or so pace. That’s just insane. I was in awe of the elite runners.
This training is going to be HARD…I mean I realize that just because I ran 5 miles two weeks ago with ease (ok, not ease, but it wasn’t torture) doesn’t mean my 6 mile run will be any easier. I wonder if in three weeks 6 miles might feel easy? Nick has started running a mile a day; and he says he has no idea how I run 6, let alone 26. Which I of course added in that it is 26.2, can’t forget that .2 PEOPLE!!!! I really think the last 6 are just going to kill us in the race. What if I hit the wall before the 20 mile mark like they say? So many things I won’t know until I get to that day, in that moment. And while everything will be spinning around me, I will remember one foot in front of the other…it’s the only way! 
