That Funky Funk

Because of my lingering cold, I spent much of last week running - and grumbling about it. I didn't think it was such a good idea to post 'cause I didn't want to start a negative vibe virus :) We seemed to have passed that respiratory virus around good! I finally had a decent long run yesterday which made me feel much better today! Negative vibe gone!

I wanted to do 20 this morning, but most of my running group went to the Austin Marathon over the weekend, so I was on my own. I dutifully set my alarm for 5:00 am, fully intending to get in 10 miles before I had to take my kids to school. But with no one waiting for me (and a brief period of wakefulness in the middle of the night which allowed me to watch "Dead Like Me," "Friends," and "Three's Company,") I opted to sleep in. After getting Grant and Spencer off to school, I headed out for my run. I planned to run two 10 mile loops so that I could stop back at the house to get water and something to eat between loops. The first loop went fine, I stayed to the canals initially and then started heading up the mountain. I made it home right at 10 miles, grabbed some water and strawberries and decided a new route was needed for the second 10 mile loop. I was hungry and wanting some stimulation.

To make the second loop interesting, I decided to go on an "urban adventure" run and headed up one of the main roads out of the valley. It is very commercial, which means tons of traffic, but also very busy so there is lots to look at. I made myself a deal: I would run 5 miles up the road and stop at whichever restaurant was closest for a something to eat and then head back. At 5 miles I ended up exactly between Burger King and Taco Bell. Hmm. I went for a bean burrito at Taco Bell, figuring that Burger King was probably not the best option (I had secretly hoped for El Pollo Loco, but it was at mile 3.5 - bummer). I read somewhere that it was a good idea to "practice" eating and running, so that was my justification for scarfing down the whole burrito and a Sierra Mist. I have never been able to eat much "real food" in an ultra, so I'm not sure what I was practicing, but it sure tasted good!

I got home, happy to have finished the 20, happy to be breathing easily, and happy that I got to do something different today. I don't know about y'all, but I find myself running many of the same routes over and over just out of habit. Today's run reminded me that I need to get out of my box once in awhile. Because I really enjoy the small loop format of 24 Hour races, I tend to train in the same format. This does not lead to very exciting routes :) Maybe that has had something to do with my funk last week. Whatever it was, illness, boredom, my astrological sign out of whack, I'm glad it's gone :)

Happy running!