No Hands

You know, I really appreciate how this is a learning experience. Nothing about this training plan is easy or expected. My life, routines, diet, drinking habits... all of these things don't tend to fit with the lifestyle of a half-marathoner. For example, I missed my long run last week due to a poorly timed wax appointment. Apparently you need to schedule those appointments prior to a rest day. Who knew? Now I know. Also, happy hour prior to a run isn't the best idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And then yesterday happened.

I tend to run around my neighborhood. In the dark. After getting home from work. And yesterday, after drinking a pretty awesome margarita. I didn't really *want* to, but I needed to do it. A couple interesting things happened. First, within a half-mile I threw up that margarita. On someone's lawn. But, the margarita was green... the grass was green... I'm thinking it'll be alright. Also, it was a half-price margarita. So, I didn't feel so financially irresponsible when I regurgitated it. I did, however, get vomit in my nose. And I may have made some awkward noises and used profanity all while attempting (without result) to get the vomit OUT of my nose. This ruined my mile time, and I ended up continuing on, with the smell of happy hour lingering in my sinus cavities.

After the undoing of happy hour I really wanted to go home. But, let's face it: usually somewhere in that first mile I want to go home. It's the worst mile. It's the toughest mile. My body hurts and all I can do is think about how much running is left and how much I need to do at home. To get myself into some sort of "zone" I listen to rap music. Hip hop. Something about the rhythm keeps me pumped. I also tend to sing along, I guess. You'll do a lot of things to keep your head in the game, to forget your legs hurt, and to keep going forward. In my little world I sing "Get Low" by Lil Jon under my breath. It gives me something else to focus on. I don't really think I sing THAT loud. It isn't really *singing* in my opinion. I sometimes mumble. 

And that is the lead in to the video. You see, last night Erich ran out after me. And he came up behind me and realized I was rapping "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame whilst running. I guess surprised, he decided to shoot a small video of me running around the neighborhood rapping. I had no idea he had taken it until we got home and he sent it to me. I was initially angry. But then I did see the humor in the chubby, white, blonde girl ambling around the neighborhood spitting rhymes. 

I asked Erich if I was really all that loud. He said some people did in fact stare. And that the worst part was when the song changed to "Get Low" by Lil John and I randomly mumbled, "Skeet skeet skeet." I'm not going to win a marathon or be the next American Idol. I'm just happy to get home from a run without dead animal on my shoe or vomit in my nose, really. But, here it is. This is *really* me. Running around my neighborhood rapping. Terrorizing dogs. Keeping it real.