Short Lived Moments of Greatness with a few random thoughts on Life, running, and Pizza tossed in.

 I ran my first race since the marathon yesterday. 14.12 miles (they measured the course wrong) of up and down mountain terrain, it was the most challenging half marathon I have run to date (that did not include electrocution). But I had a great time doing it! Beautiful scenery, well organized race, and plentiful aid stations.  I went into the race for the enjoyment of running and knowing full well that this would not be a PR race for me. My training has not been the best and I really do not have the urge to break any speed records. I averaged a 12:50 pace and came in at 3 hours, slow but considering I walked the back half of the race, I will take it! the second  6.5 miles were up hill on a uneven dirt road, this portion of the race KICKED. MY. ASS.  I couldn't breathe, I couldn't feel my quads, and the only thing that kept me going was the fact that an 80 year old man (Who I had passed on the way down) was quickly passing me and eventually put so much distance between us that I lost him. We were at 5k-6k feet and the elevation coupled with the uphill just crushed me, I still have a cough today from the lack of oxygen in the air. I also ran with Scott, Stacey, and Heather... my partners in idiocy.

So since I had 3 hours to kill I had a lot of time to think and try to take my mind off of running and knee pain. Here is a quick list of random thoughts that go through my head while running.

1. I am hungry
2. I should eat
3. What should I eat
4. I am running 13 miles, I can eat whatever I want
5. Pizza, definitely pizza
6. How much pizza
7. A whole one (and if you think I mean a whole slice, A. welcome to my blog, B. you're adorable)
8. Where can I get pizza at 9 am
9. Oh hey, there is my tendinitis. I didn't miss you.
10.This feels like longer than 13.1 miles

I also wore my Blerch shirt from The Oatmeal ( if you are a runner and you don't know what the oatmeal is, I recommend googling the oatmeal, long distance running. You're Welcome.) and I had a few people come up and compliment my shirt and ask me if I ran into the wall.... But I do not believe in the wall! (this will make a whole lot more sense if you read the oatmeal, http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running, go ahead I will wait.
.
.
.
.
.
See?! now you understand the awesomness and the Blerch.
So anyways, I wore my Blerch shirt and I had this fleeting moment of awesomness... I had a lady come up to me and start frantically pointing at my shirt, I was wearing my headphones and jamming out to NKOTB so I am not entirely sure how long she was doing this for but I finally pulled my headphones out and tried to understand what she was saying and make sure she wasn't having a seizure. She told me she loved my shirt and loves that blog, here is how that conversation went

her: I love your shirt, I read that blog all the time!
me: Thanks!, yeah I love the Oatmeal!
Her: the what?
me:


The oatmeal, its the website where I got this shirt and the guy who originally wrote about the Blerch!

Her: Oh, no I read it on some lady's blog.
Me: (inner voice) Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. I have just met a complete stranger that reads my blog!
Me: (Actual voice) Really?! what is the name of it??
Her: Oh, I can't remember
Me. Oh. Does it have something to do with a Fat Kid?
Her: No, no. that's not it.
Me: Ok Byeeeeee, gotta run


I got so momentarily excited, I finally found that runners high that all those crack pot ultra marathoners talk about but it was quickly shot down. At this point I picked up my pace so I could get out of distance and stop to giggle like an idiot at myself.
So all it all it was a good race, I did not eat pizza but I did make a waiter at red lobster uncomfortable with the amount of cheddar bay bisuits and endless shrimp I put away.

Have a great weekend everyone, beat down those fat kids (Inner! Inner fat kids! Don't go abusing children with glandular problems!)