Final countdown

So here we are, closer to the marathon. yikes! As excited as I am, I'm also scared to death. This is a huge ordeal and soon it will be here.

I have given up on my attempt to train Monday. I hate Mondays, and it is so hard to try and do anything. I think it's partly because I'm still tired from the weekends. I had to go out in the field yesterday. Do you know how HOT it was yesterday? Well, I was OUTSIDE most of the day, watching the drillers install monitoring wells. NOT fun.
By the time I got home I had a headache, I think it was from dehydration.

I hope it doesn't storm today because I am planning on training. I'm all for running in the rain, but I don't want to get hit by lighting.

Tomorrow we are off to the Big Easy with the kids. We postponed the trip from the weekend to the week because we both need a break from our jobs. Besides, we won't have to deal with the crowds at the zoo. Hopefully the twins will enjoy it. I know Candace will. Last time we went to New Orleans was a month before Katrina, and we did the zoo and the aquarium.
This time we are planning to go to the Children's Museum, and the Zoo. Not sure about the aquarium yet, we are going to see how it goes, and adjust our plans depending on the weather.

This is the twins' first overnight trip. Wish us luck. The only out of town trip they've taken was for Christmas. We went to Claude's grandmother's (she lives in the Delta) and it was a 1.5 hrs trip. I hope they have a good time.

See you early and dark on Saturday! 18 miles, people! 18! I'm planning on taking it easy, stick with my 2:1 intervals and once I get into the "zone", maybe do some 3:1 for a while, and back to 2:1. I think that's my game plan for the remainder of the training.

Ooops

I decided to do my run here in town today. I knew it would be hard to get out of bed but I really didn't think I could get out of bed at 4 AM so I could meet with the group.

I got up at 5:30, made coffee, and got ready to go. Headed out the door as the sun was coming up. I had a good run, I actually got into the groove within the first 25 minutes and it was a smooth run from then on. Until the dogs chased me. 3 of them. I stopped, got my pepper spray, found a stick. That scared them off. I was beyond mad because I was "in the zone" and had to walk so they wouldn't come after me again.

I ended up going 9 miles. Ooops! I was having a good run and decided to go a little farther. Didn't think it would make that big of a difference. But I was more than happy, because even though I had to walk because of the dogs and traffic, I still managed to do it in less than 2 hrs. So I had a good pace and was feeling good.

I hope everyone had a good run today. I missed everyone but it was a very good, therapeutic run for me. I got to see my town in the early mornings, and actually realized how much I like this small town. As much as I would have loved to live in a place like Chicago or New Orleans, now that I'm older (and wiser) I'm glad I get to raise my kids in this small town.

Keep on training marathoners! Chicago is just around the corner!

Random tidbits about me

I need to get my blog into a "lighter" note. So here are some random things about me

~ I am 1 of 5 girls. I'm the middle child.
~ I have an irrational fear of the ocean. I get very anxious when I am near the ocean.
~ I love the mountains and would live near the mountains if I could.
~ Coffee is one of my favorite things. I like trying new blends, different roasts.
~ I love to cook
~ My favorite author/book: Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombian) and his book One Hundred Years of Solitude. He won the Nobel Prize of Literature with this book, and it's one of his best books. I read it for the first time when I was a teenager and have read it several times since then.
~ I learned how to drive when I moved to the US
~ Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut or a lawyer. I still do.
~ I love to dance
~ I don't care for the color Pink
~ I don't like to wear dresses or skirts (except for the running skirt ;) )
~ I would like to write a book about my family, for my kids/nieces/nephews. There are so many wonderful people in our family that our future generations should know about.
~ I hate mushrooms, peanut butter, and pickles.
~ I'm terrified of snakes. I can't even watch them on TV.
~ I am constantly setting new goals for myself. I need something to work towards.
~ If money was not an issue, I would be a "professional" student. I love to learn.
~ I don't like to talk on the phone, specially when it's someone I don't know.
~ I'm shy, stubborn, and bossy.
~ I want to move back to Panama one day.
~ I lived in Costa Rica for 2 yrs before I moved to Mississippi
~ I'd like to run for office one day, at a local level.
~ I like red wine, and beer (not together, of course)
~ I believe actions speak louder than words.
~ I have no tolerance for racism or bigotry
~ I don't care for people who believe their way is the only way. What works for someone else may not work for me. We were meant to be different.