VICTORY!! I finally did it! After four attempts at running home from work, I finally made it on lucky number five. I think the main factor in not making it on my previous attempts was the heat. I probably could have made it last time, but it was getting so dark that it was no longer fun. I knew I would do it today. Miles 1 thru 3 - 8:51, 8:39, 9:00 - According to Yahoo, the temperature was 89. A little hot, but better than the 100+ degrees that I had been starting out at in my previous attempts. I kept telling myself not to start out too fast. Trust Bonnie. She knows what she's talking about. However, my legs felt really tight. That's kind of weird. I only ran 4 miles yesterday at a 8:34 pace. I began to worry if I could do it. Then I told myself that they would loosen up. Sure enough, at 1.7 miles they felt great. After three miles I stopped and popped a chocolate GU. Then I downed some Gatorade that had begun to melt. Miles 4 thru 6 - 9:09, 9:32, 9:41 - The Gatorade bottle was now a little lighter and a little easier to hold. I came up to the hole I fell in last time. Since that time I've driven past it, and I always chuckle because it's such a delightful hole. How wonderful it was that I ran right into it. But what you can't see when you're driving is that the hole is full of large stones and concrete blocks. How in the heck did I manage to not get hurt? I popped another GU (Vanilla) shortly after mile 6 and drank more Gatorade. I'm still trying to figure out if they do anything for me. I guess? I made it home.
Miles 7 thru 9 - 9:47, 9:57, 10:19 - I saw a football game going on. Higley High School I think. Stinky turf. I saw 7 bunnies. I remembered that I always see bunnies along this stretch. But why didn't I last time? Oh yeah, because it was pitch black. Between miles 8 and 9 I saw the foundations and first tier of some new electrical poles that "they" are putting in. I wondered if the poles were there last time, and I didn't see them in the dark. Probably not. I would have ran right into at least one. I knocked on each one as I ran by.
Miles 10 thru 12 - 9:53, 10:20, 11:06 - I decided to wait until 9.5 miles to pop my next GU. Strawberry banana. Now my Gatorade was completely melted. Why did I wait the extra half mile? Gave me a chance to pee in seclusion. Now it was getting dark. That's why that 12th mile was 11 minutes. I could not see hardly at all. Started thinking it wasn't fun again. I even said a little prayer that I would make it home safe. I got a little tender mercy as my path was lit by a stop light for a while. Miles 13 thru 15.08 - 10:49, 10:44, 11:02, 0:53 - I think I popped my last GU at around mile 12.5. Mixed berry. They all tasted so good. This one I took on the run. Well, jog. I swigged some Gatorade. Then I cut through the Queen Creek Marketplace parking lot. Why are so many people going to Chick-fil-A? They must have a special going on. I ran past McDonald's. Do you think they're hiring? Then I got to Ellsworth Road which is part of my Walmart loop. At this point I knew I only had 2 miles to go. I finished the rest of my Gatorade. Should I be writing that like this - Gatorade (R)? I was still pretty thirsty. Then I remembered there's a drinking fountain at the park. So I ran past the skaters and through the basketball courts. I saw a pudgy 12 year old stuff his grandmother. In your face, Grandma! I got a quick drink and took off for the home stretch. I thought about cutting through the golf course, but it was dark, and I would probably run straight into the lake. Plus I knew I wouldn't reach 15 miles if I did. So I stayed on the sidewalk. When I got to the roundabout I called my wife and told her I would be home in about 4 minutes. I asked her to stay on the phone with me. With 0.3 miles to go my son rode his bike and his friend ran me in the rest of the way. My wife had a nice tall cup of ice water waiting for me. Well, that was a long entry for not being a race. How pathetic am I? But it was a moral victory, and I want to remember it. I hopped in the shower, and that's when my calves started to feel like they were going to fall off. Ouch. Hmmm, maybe I don't want to run another marathon. My scale said I weight 192. That means I lost 10 lbs today. Ha! And that was after the nice tall cup of water. Well, I'm sure I'll gain it all back in a hurry. Now the temperature is 84. My legs are feeling better since I ate dinner. And I'm exhausted. Not from running. From writing this entry. Good night!
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