And now I am in my mid twenties

With the time change I get to have another 25 hour birthday.  I don't know that today is particularly special to me, but it is a day I get to hear from a lot of people and that is nice.

In describing today I think  I am going to go in reverse chronological order.

Right now I am studying for the two tests that I have in the next two days.  I am feeling especially good about my test tomorrow.  I have been studying since I woke up at 8:30pm.

Last night I was Indiana Jones for Halloween.  I followed a band with a few members I know from three different gigs and helped carry in some equipment here and there on the condition that I got to hum or loudly whistle the Indiana Jones theme while I did so.  In some weird way this makes me a roadie.  I was plagued at these events by a guy who also came from place to place who was also Indiana Jones, who incidentally was not because I was the only Indy with the right colored hat, and a whip.  It was a fun night, but not one that I would repeat none too soon.  When I went to bed this morning I noted this:  "I have felt and thought of myself as 24 for the entire year I was 23, but now I finally feel like I am 23 when I am 24."

I am now in my mid twenties.  At one time in my life I thought I would never marry before 25, now I have to wonder who or how I thought I was going to be even tempted to marry at this point.  The older I get the more I wonder how I ever thought I could plan my life more than a year or two at a time while I was in high school.  I suppose for the moment being there's not much else to say and I should return to studying eating disorders for the class with the same name.

76 years left until I can die satisfactorily.  Maybe more, depending on social security.

Sunday was my fourth half marathon

Given how much I have been talking about it the last few weeks, it should be no surprise that this Sunday was my fourth half marathon.  And it was exciting stuff.

There is another half this Sunday in Dallas, so the DFW running community was not present in full force at this race.  A marvelous fact that, when added in that this was the smaller of the two halves, allowed me to take second place.  I tied my time from 18 month earlier, which was another personal victory.  All of this was achieved in Vibrams, which is even more exciting still.

During the race I led for a couple of miles before another runner from the 20 mile race took the lead.  I still led the half marathon for a while longer but I choose to stop at a point with the words "F.W. half marathon turn around point."  My confusion was that this was not the Ft. Worth half marathon, but it was a half marathon in Ft. Worth.  I waited for the second place guy who would eventually win the race.  He motioned me forward.  I do not regret waiting in terms of my place, I know when this guy picked up his pace at mile 5 I would have not caught him, but I do wish I had kept going.  My time may have been better.  Incidentally my time was 1:28.

Currently I am taking the week off.  It is incredibly hard to walk, though not as hard as it was walking down the hill from the finish line Sunday.  I'll start with workouts as soon as I can walk with ease.  On the horizon I have the Warrior Dash on May 1st.  Somewhere inbetween I want to do a few of the 5Ks and perhaps another half marathon.  With my time staying the same I am wondering now if I can get that time down a minute or more.  We will have to see.

Are you dressing up for Halloween this year? If so, what are you going to dress up as?

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1 day, 15 hours until the starting gun

The time is getting close.  There is a twitching in my arms and legs, the fibers flex and unflex in an unsteady, annoying fashion.  I have so much energy right now, as I move through my apartment I stop and hop up and down a few dozen times and then settle back down and go about my tasks.  This is something I didn't have the energy of contemplating just two weeks ago when I was in peak training, now that my body is recovering it is demanding movement, soon enough it will come to regret this wish.

I try to clear my head of negative thoughts, but as with every race I wonder what I am going to do if I fail to meet my goal this time.  I told Cindy that it wouldn't take longer than half an hour.  It amazes me that no one has questioned how cocky this statement is.  This is the same as a boxer declaring he will win in a certain round. 

I told Cyan that I'd be done before 8:30 at my last half marathon, when I stopped to walk I remembered that and started running again.  I finished at 8:28.  A couple weeks ago I tried to explain what the "Eye of the Tiger" met to Cindy (besides just a song by an 1980s band).  Finally I told her to wait until the race and then she would understand.  Maybe my prediction and my need to explain something with my muscles instead of mouth will push me.

I keep telling myself to stop all this thinking.  I tell myself to run my race, and run it well.  There is no need for all this nervousness.  Running a half marathon seems like a sane idea, but it gradually seems less and less sane as I get closer to the starting line.

Less than 4 days before the half marathon and my heel hurts like no other.  Figures.  I am hoping a little rest will bring it up to par.

On the bright side, I registered for the Warrior Dash of Texas.  I am confused as to how I am suppose to train for it, as I've never done a race quiet like it before.  I've looked at pictures of the race and many of the participants look well rounded and fit, though there are some finishers who look just round (which is encouraging).  I am also trying to decide if I should do the marathon in Febuary if I'm also doing this event on May 1st.  I go back and fourth between a "yes" and "no, do the half marathon instead."  They're both good choices and I'm not sure what will happen.