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November 20, 2004
18 Mi - Lefty Eye - Pizza Boxes
I set my alarm for 5:30 this morning so I could start my long run early. While I didn't actually get out of bed until 6, I still made my goal of getting to Iwo Jima by 7. I'm soooo anal rententive about time and scheduling (just ask my husband!) that I pack everything I need for running the night before. Not to mention that my mind is never fully there that early. The club was planning to run 13.5 miles on Glover Archibald Trail again, so I decided to do Capital Crescent out and back instead so I could run 18 miles as well as maintain a steady pace.
It was a tiny chilly to start, but I quickly warmed up body temperature-wise even with a tank top on. I set out to keep ~8:30 pace, but by golly, I felt like I was running in the 7's because I was a little out of breath. I'll blame it on the humidity. I didn't start to feel really strong around mile 7, then continued to pick up the pace once I hit the turnaround point. Out and back courses can be tough for me mentally, especially when I run alone, but I love the turnaround. Home free! And by that time, the rest of the world started coming out for their weekend jaunts on the trail. It was nice to have company. I Gu'ed twice and drank my newly purchased XLR8 the entire time, which kept my blood sugar up without making me sick to my stomach. I got back to Iwo Jima around the same time everyone was finishing their runs. I met a couple new girls who are contemplating a March 2005 marathon; if they decide to do it, then I may have some people to train with if we run the same pace.
When I got home, I had a snack and iced my legs for an hour, moving the two bags around every 20 minutes. My right piriformis is very sore still. Once R. got home from taking his second of three MCAD tests, we went to the sushi buffet across the street. I didn't have any sushi today, but I indulged on kimchee, salad, chicken and rice, and soup. I could eat their kimchee everyday at every meal - it's that good.
I spent this afternoon going over marksmanship basics with my new coach, though we didn't actually shoot today. It was a productive meeting that sounded more like a geometry class with terms like triangulation and cone of dispersion. I also confirmed that I am left eye dominant, though I shoot right-handed, which could adversely affect my focus. We outlined my basic goal to qualify this Spring, and I also have a secret secondary goal...that is, to wear something other than a double "pizza box". Double pizza box is two silver pizza box looking Marksman badges - one for rifle and the other for pistol - the lowest level you can attain in the Marines. And since I'm never satisfied with the lowest common denominator, I'm going to have to put in serious practice to become a Sharpshooter or Expert. One of the great things about this is that my coach has agreed to train me for FREE. My favorite four letter word...He's a retired Marine who was a photographer by specialty but also shot on the Marine Corps rifle and pistol team back in the day.
Well, we're off to Outback for dinner and maybe a movie, if I don't go into a food coma...
Posted by Leilani at November 20, 2004 07:18 PM
Comments
I *love* kimchee. It's really good for you, too, since it's cabbage ...
Posted by: jenandmats at November 21, 2004 04:43 PM
New girls? No new girls allowed! They are replacing me! Just kidding, I'm glad you found people OUR pace!
Posted by: becky at November 24, 2004 04:07 PM