Epic Fail

I now remember why I don't drink heavily the day before a big run.

After exceeding my pre-run maximum of 2 beers, as well as my "let's try to be a grown up" maximum of 4 beers, I had my first total epic fail of a run. According to my runnersworld.com marathon training plan, today I was supposed to run 8-9 miles. Being an obsessive over-achiever I always shoot for the longer run, but today my body just decided to throw a big F U my way and ruin it all - and this was only my SECOND run post-marathon registration.

Anyway, I kind of knew I was in trouble. I didn't feel confident before I left, although the run started out strong. Then things took a nasty turn. I tried all of my fav running games - rate-that-runner (basically I decide if a runner is hardcore or not and judge them by my own twisted standards), what should I be when I grow up (mental lists of what I should do with the rest of my life), running idol (I sing absurd songs like "I love college" and hits by Lady Gaga aloud to myself), postcard game (I legit try to find scenery that I think would look good on a postcard), odd-couple-spotter (I search for oddly matched couples and again judge them by my own twisted standards), and well the list goes on and on I don't want to take up too much time with this. The point of all this is that nothing was working, I was tired, my stomach was upset, and the bikers were pissing me off more than usual.

I made the executive decision to cut the run short and only go as far as the BU bridge instead of the Mass Ave bridge, but then I got even sicker. I ended up stopping to walk and buy a G2 at some sketchy gas station. Then in true kick-me-when-I'm-down fashion I noticed that my G2 had expired in Dec 08. Really, gas station? This is COM AVENUE in BOSTON, not Bosnia - W.T.F! (actually strike the Bosnia thing, I have never been there, nor do I know anything about the country, it would be unfair of me to make assumptions on the quality of their G2).

Anyway, I walked for a mile or so then ran one more mile, only this time I invented a new game - swearing runner. I legit needed someone ahead of me warning people to earmuff their children, because I was teetering between obscenity and vomit and I chose obscenity (although vomit did make a small appearance as well - sorry, gross I know).

OK well I think you got the jist. 6 miles instead of 9. Upset stomach. Upset Ange. But luckily I can always try again tomorrow...

Day One

I've been talking about starting this blog for weeks, so it seems appropriate to start it today, the very same day that I signed up for my first marathon. Basically, I've realized that I'm incapable of holding a conversation without bringing up running in some way, shape, or form. So the goal of this blog is to get out all of my obsessive ramblings in hopes that I will stop annoying all my friends (other than Sarah who is just as obsessed as me AND running the Amica Marathon with me in Newport, RI in October).

Anyway, this all started a few months ago. After being jolted awake by a rendition of "Let's Go To the Mall" blasting from my cell phone, I started my day off with a scream session from my boss - seriously, I was bitched out before leaving my bed. I never knew a fake song performed by a girl named "Robin Sparkles" could bring on so much hostility. The rest of the day went down hill from there, I was yelled at by two different clients, got in trouble for using the wrong soup bowl, spilled boiling hot water down my arm and cried in bed for a good 20 min when I finally got home. Then all of a sudden, I decided to get out of bed and go to the gym and "run til I was fun." It worked, five miles later I actually laughed about my ridiculous day. I decided to adopt this practice on a regular basis and from this attempt to literally "run away from my problems" a running-junkie was born.

So that's kind of where I am now - planning my days around runs, drinking enough water to actually stay hydrated for the first time of my life, dedicating entire shopping trips to running clothes, logging onto mapmyrun.com more often than facebook, obsessively compulsively stalking my fave running blogs and sites and now actually taking the time to sit down and type out my thoughts, experiences and anecdotes about running.

That should do it for now...more to come in the next few days.