Days 11-14

Day 11: Rest
Day 12: 7 miles
Day 13: Cross-training for an hour
Day 14: Rest

So I hope that being drunk in the upstairs of the Barking Dog in Bethesda, dancing wildly and headbanging occasionally and schizophrenically counts as cross-training because that's all the cross-training I did this weekend.

I had so much fun at a full and fancy dinner at the French Restaurant Lavendeux in Cleveland Park, then having drinks at Yanni's Greek yesterday in Cleveland Park and then continuing the bender by finishing at the Barking Dog as mentioned above and even then having more drinks and conversation in my backyard garden after closing times that I was WAY too hungover on Saturday but to contemplate my poor and hazardous lifestyle choices and try to find some combination of liquids and food that helped me cure my hangover in the timeliest manner possible without making me more sick.

Sunday it was way too hot to run during the day and I was still feeling a little "under the weather" but I knew I had to run. I wanted to run. The fact that I hadn't done what I've required of myself was making me restless, like an itch I couldn't scratch or needed to scratch. My friends were all gathered at an apartment in Pentagon City watching the final World Cup Match between Spain and the Netherlands. I actually stopped by all dressed in workout gear. I convinced myself I would go to the National Mall and run the 7 miles trek I had plotted on MapMyRun.com earlier in the week. I did go. And it was hard to watch everyone slogging back the beers and mystery punch et al. and not be able to partake. They, of course, tried to convince me not to run but one of my friends Britt said, leave her alone. And turned to me and said "Go Run. Go run now or you'll never go." And so I left.

I drove down to the Mall and it was very very hot indeed. Too hot even though it was already 6 o'clock in the evening. I ran from the Ulysses Grant memorial (reflecting pool) just in front of the Capitol on Independence and 3rd street passed the Washington Monument and down to the Lincoln Memorial where I ran around it and then came back up Constitution Avenue towards the Ulysses Grant memorial and then back around towards the Washington Monument and back once again. All in all, my GPS not strictly working again, I ran about 6 miles, not 7. But I was hot and exhausted and wanted to get back to my friend's party.

One eventful part of my run, was that I believe I saw Mayor Fenty out for a run himself. Dressed in black and looking very fit indeed. Does that man even sweat? There is such great satisfaction that our current Washingtonian leaders, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama and Mayor Fenty are all in such great physical shape. Eating right and exercising and encouraging others to do the same. This attitude certainly permeates out in the community in a wave of inspiration. Seeing Mayor Fenty made me want to not look like I was going to pass out at any moment, though there was little hope for that on this particular day.

I finished my run. It was what I was capable of on this day. Really I was completely spent. So, I did what I could do. I went back to my friend's party and was greeted by beer and mystery punch and pizza. And we watched the movie Beer Fest. I ended up at my friend Brian's apartment after that. More drinks, gin and tonics to be exact and got home around 4 in the morning.

I know I sound like such a glutton. And I am one. And certainly if I wanted to REALLY improve on my training or be a super athlete or a super foxy fox with a head-turner bod, I would really need to clean up my act. And maybe I will. Eventually.

But right now, the goal of training for and completing a marathon is all I can grasp a hold of right now. And I am doing the runs. I am putting in the time. And one foot in front of the other. Repeatedly. And for me right now that's enough. Completing the first one, a little bit healthier, a little bit lighter, a little bit fitter and a lot more self-confident, is enough for me right now, to mean a whole lot more than all that.

And it goes to show you. You don't have to give up junk food or alcohol or fun or sleepless nights to run a marathon. Maybe you should. But you don't have to. So even if you like to party...

Come Run With Me.