Like a hamster on a wheel....(week 2)

Week 2 proved to be almost as eye opening as week 1. Did I mention to you that during the week my short runs are done in my neighborhood, my 1.1 mile long neighborhood from front to back, including the 5 duplexes??? It's not exactly what one would call scenic, until you look deeper.

Seriously I pass the same 40 houses nearly 10x's per week, around the same time each day. It's not like I am driving and preoccupied dodging sippy cups and turning on Barney. I am alone and I am running, so I have some time to kill. Last week I got in a run and a show as one of my neighbors chatted on his cell phone adjusting himself every 5 seconds with a grab and a tug. I assumed he was talking to an old guy friend and the grabbing and tugging was symbolic for a piece of manhood briefly returning to him after marriage and kids had torn it away. There's the wine guy on his front porch sipping on a sweet merlot as his sprinklers water his grass, the gaggle of neighborhood boys zigging and zagging between two houses, the parentals' of the gaggle sharing a quite moment in their garage as the children play, the adorable family playing basketball in the summer sun, and me.  Me sweating and running, sweating and running, running and sweating, around the same 40 houses like a hamster on a wheel. 

It wouldn't be so bad if, what am I saying yes it would! I now understand why a hamster bites when you open it's cage. He is saying "Get me the f*^k out of here!!!" I love my neighbors and my neighborhood, but man it's BORING!!!!! Not only is it 97 degrees outside, it's 97 degrees on the same street, I am wearing the same clothes, listening to the same music, running the same 3 mile loop....kill me. I try to pretend I am some where else, but as the humidity sucks the breath out of me, all my energy goes in to finishing the run, not creativity. 

There is one real motivating factor in my hood, "the old guy". I don't know his name, but I see him running all the time. Same black shorts, same sunglasses, same shirtless 70+ year old chest air blowing in the breeze. He's kind of a beast. Focused, eyes forward. We always exchange the first pass "Hello". Then the second pass "nod", and the third pass "right to ignore". I think it's runner's code some where. Just like if you are behind somebody and you pass them you must do it with great speed and impressive form.  Then each time you see said runner you mimic this same running style (secretly knowing you can't breathe, but you look awesome). On Tuesday it was hot. I was supposed to run 3 miles, but I could hardly breathe. At 2.7 miles I grabbed my apple juice and was cooling off when "the old guy" (with whom I had been sharing the road) whizzed by. I got pissed. Hell if the old guy can do it, so can I. I reset my Nike+ and finished. 

My long run was better. We escaped to SC this weekend to visit the in-laws. So I literally got out of my cage, not just my neighborhood, but my own home. I also now understand why stay at home moms bite when you open their cage too!!!!! It was nice to be with family and just relax. I was also really excited to be committed even though we weren't at home. I pounded out my 6 miles. I am still running a 13:30 pace, but I set my realistic goals while crushing out my six. I wanted to finish my 1st 26.2 in 4:30, but realistically, I am not sure that is even remotely possible. I am shooting for a 10lb weight loss and a finish time of 5:45. Both I believe are obtainable and if I beat them, well hello stars!!!

 Week 2: 15 miles 

Lessons learned: Quitters don't cross finish lines and if you run down a hill, you must run back up.