I may be a little sore and out of practice...but I'm here!

Hello Dear Reader,

The combination of guilt, peer pressure, caution, the Two Oceans Half Marathon, and the tipping hand of the scale motivated me on Sunday to strap on my dusty Garmin and running gear, and pound some pavement...almost 6 miles to be exact! Nope, I didn't stutter...I said almost 6 miles!

Garmin set, jazzy pink iPod on..ready, set...GO! My pace was decidedly slow at just a little over a ten minute mile, as I didn't want to push my luck! Luckily, there was only slight discomfort in my left tendon, but my right ankle was a bit sore. The right side must be my trick ankle...it's been faking me out this whole time, making me think that the left side was going to be a problem. Nope! Initially, I started to doubt if I'd make my full course, but I pushed through at a very slow pace...up and down hills...without stopping...and with no fatigue! Woohoo!!!!! When I got to the end of the route, I was smiling on the inside...I did it! I'm back, ya'll! I'm back! My hopes for running the Two Oceans Half this weekend aren't totally dashed! My lovely Ethiopian running partner's trip isn't being made in vain (who are we kidding?)!

Now several days later, I'm a bit sore from being out of the running game for so long..but it is the good kind of sore. The kind of sore that says work is being done. The kind of sore that says, "Trust me, I'm a runner!"

Clearly the first run I "completed" right after returning to Lesotho was a dud. My shins hurt, my legs felt like bricks, I was sore, my tendons hurt, and I was just tired in general. How dare I let that one run negatively influence my perceptions about my ability to run in future! Why wasn't I using logic? All that run told me was that my body deserved a break from pavement pounding and not a break from reality. After asking my body to do things it had never been asked to do before (i.e. run) and then ask it to run 26.2 miles, followed by making 2 16-hour plane rides in economy class (with the leg room of a matchbox), drink my liver into submission, stay up at all hours of the night, and party like a 30 year old (Cause 30 is the new 18! Didn't you know?!), I was expecting to perform at my best. Not!

Having said all of that, the 95% mental thing got me down ya'll. I lost my focus (see my self pep talk?)! Perhaps I'll have one or two more runs before Saturday's race! Boy, oh boy and I excited!!! My Ethiopian running buddy, a long weekend off from work, Cape Town, the Two Oceans Half Marathon, time spent with friends...this will be a great weekend! ...and of course you know pictures will follow...on Monday!

So until next time...one foot in front of the other...keep it movin'!!!

Yours in (Two Oceans Half) training,

Dani