Go, you chicken fat, go away!

Friday I sent a text to John, Mike, and Phil about running this morning.  I wanted to go early because I needed to go out surveying afterwards.  Mike said under doctor's orders he couldn't go.  He's going to rest up until the race.  I hope he'll be all right.  Phil said he couldn't make it either.  I sent out an email to the entire team, but the only people that came were me and John.  John had just run a 1:39 half marathon the week before and is doing seemingly well.  I got there before he did and wasn't sure if he was coming, so after I stretched, I ran up to the porta potty at the intersection.  I saw a car pulling in to the parking lot and figured it was him.  I texted him and told him I was in the porta potty.  It was him, and lucky for me he waited because I saw this guy and girl running down the street on my way there and now the girl was going to try and use the porta potty, but John told him someone was in there.

After I took care of my business, the guy and girl were gone.  I guess they didn't want to wait for me.  Or they didn't want my cooties.  So John and I began our ascent.  After 5 minutes I was only about 8 seconds behind John.  It was close enough to where he could hear my Runkeeper go off, so he turned to make sure I was ok.  That first half mile always goes by much faster than the subsequent uphill miles.  That's where I really start to slow down because in between 0.5 and 2.5 is the steepest part.  My plan was to go beyond the top today to the Usery Park entrance.  That would be 9.2 miles.  That's why I drove myself because I didn't want anyone to have to wait for me.  John went at least that far.  I finally lost eye sight with him after 2 miles, but I was less than a half mile from the turn around point when I saw him coming back.  He asked how I was feeling, and I told him I was feeling great.  About 10 seconds after that my knees started to ball up on me.  Sometimes they do that after I finish running.  It hurts for a little bit, but goes away.  Now it was happening while I was running, so I just ran through it.

About a tenth of a mile (maybe less) before I turned around there was a girl running up the hill.  When I turned around she had a pretty big headstart on me, but I wondered if I would catch her.  Nope.  She was running pretty good, and put some major distance between us.  About a quarter mile from the top, I saw the guy and the girl from the porta potty.  They were running with another guy now.  They guy crossed the street and turned around and started running with the other girl.  They were fast.  I apologized to the first girl for being in the porta potty.  Once I got to the top I knew the rest was downhill.  Even though my knees still hurt a little, I knew I'd be fine.  There were a ton of cyclists out today.  Half a mile before I finished John pulled over in his car.  He said, "You made it!"  I said, "Yep.  Great confidence booster."  I finished up and headed home.  I spent the rest of the day outside walking around surveying.