Hangover Run

I slept in this morning, which is very rare for this early bird runner. I awoke to the sweet chatter of my little girls downstairs. They are finally at the age where they don't announce their presence the minute they roll out of bed. Sweetness. We had a late evening (for me) with some friends last night. There was food, wine, beer and lots of laughs between friends. It was just what we needed after a long hard week. My husband has been working non-stop in prep for an inspection at the base (military). His busy work schedule meant no break from mom-duty for me, totally messing with my run time a.k.a. sanity refresher.

I knew I had to nail my long run today. It would be my last quality run before Little Rock Marathon (next Sunday!). So one would think I'd eat right, hydrate and get to bed early... Nope. Instead, I skipped the "dinner" portion and went straight to wine and then beer. For the old Jess that was pretty common, but not these days. I awoke feeling pretty crappy. I tried a last minute hydration effort this morning, but as I dressed to run, I still felt a little woozy. It was a perfect day outside to run... mild winter temps in the high 30's, sunshine and very little wind. Plus I had babysitter lined up and ready. It was time to suck it up.

I dropped the kids off at my in-laws house and decided to just run from there. I needed new scenery to take my mind off how my body felt. There is a wildlife park near their house, so I snuck in there (closed for winter). It was so peaceful down the road, through the woods and literally amongst the deer. I lost count after 30. As the deer were running and jumping across the road in front of me, I suddenly remembered the photos and reports lately of cougar sightings. The thought "I'm the slowest thing out here" crossed my mind... and I decided 2 miles of wilderness was enough.

I continued to wind through the nearby neighborhoods. The only problem with an unknown route is unforeseen elevation.  Holy smokes, it was nonstop rolling hills, but I held onto my sub-10 pace nicely. The goal for today's 13 was a 9:58 average pace. As mere punishment for last night's drinks, I was determined to hold myself to the plan.

The second subdivision was much nicer... quite frankly, some houses could classify as small mansions. With such nice weather, there were lots of families outside - playing basketball, riding bikes or tinkering in the garage. It was a gorgeous day to be out running. I was so glad I didn't skip it. By time the miles were done, I felt renewed again... and thirsty!

13.1 miles in 2:07:16  (9:42 pace)
Most importantly, I was pleased with how consistent I kept the miles...
9:40, 9:40, 9:57, 9:54, 9:46, 9:40, 9:31, 9:52, 9:51, 9:33, 9:43, 9:34, 9:38

Not too shabby. I'll take that for a hangover run anyday!