Hot.

15 miles yesterday...yuck.  My calves are sore, my hip hurts and I'm a wee bit sunburnt.  Why did I agree to do this again?

Yesterday morning dawned beautiful and HOT.  By the time I was on the way to the country club for Easter Brunch with my family, my car thermometer already read 83 degrees, and the temperature just continued to rise.  Now, I know I should have run before brunch - that would have been the smart thing, but I was just so warm and snuggly in bed that I didn't want to get up at 7:00 AM to run. 

Since I waited until after brunch to run, I had to watch closely what I ate and avoid some of my favorite things:  eggs benedict, Texas brunch (some sexy potato, cheese, sour cream combination) and bacon.  Instead of those delicious selections, I consumed salad, veggies and chicken...it's not fun to be good sometimes.  However, I knew the combination of heat and running for an extended period of time just wouldn't work with my normal club brunch fare.

Driving down 66 back to my apartment, I glanced at my thermometer again - 87 degrees...our hottest day in D.C. so far this spring.  Seriously?  The day that I have to do my longest run so far it's blazing hot and humid outside.  Not cool ( no pun intended there, seriously).

As I laced up my tennies and started my run, I continued to regret signing up to do the marathon, but it felt amazing to be outside with the sun on my face and shoulders.  As the weather continues to get better, it will be harder to keep me inside - I love the sunshine and summer time - I wouldn't mind getting a tan either!  As my eye makeup began to run in my eyes (no, it wasn't smart to leave it on for my run), I kept repeating in my head, "Running is fun.  Bathing suit season.  Hot abs.  Nice tan."

Don't judge.  Sometimes I need a little encouragement, and yep, I'm a little vain.  All women are - don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I drank water throughout the run, but I need to hit Pacers Running Store before the end of the week and grab some Gu gels or Shot Blocks for my 16 miler next weekend.  I was fine for the majority of the run, but at the end, I really hit a wall and the training isn't going to get any easier from here on out.  It didn't occur to  me until last night when I was on the phone with my dad, but I am going to be in a state of constant training from here until Halloween. 

Since I registered for both the Missoula Marathon and the Marine Corps (Oct. 30th), I will be pounding the pavement hard for the next six months.  I am going to have to make a concentrated effort to keep myself healthy and avoid injury over that time.  It's a daunting task, but I better be ready.

Sorry to leave you on a sort of sour note, but I need to get my work week started.

Happy running!