the race in 2013-2014

I think part of my survival strategy is that I will be generous with my sick days. I'm going to hang onto my vacation days (because that might let me leave earlier), but sick days? Pfft. It's allergy season. I called out on Friday because sometime around Thursday night I started feeling that hazy blah, and then my right tonsil began acting up. Which means that it's doing its job, but I need to be careful and pound the antihistamines. It was sore all day Friday. Rachel came over, to trade dinner for use of my washer and drier. She brought soup and deliciously sweet and moist cornbread, which was perfect. She noted that my voice was a little off. We sat eating and talking until she had finished her two loads of clothes. It was really, really nice. Yay, socializing.

Due to antihistamines before bed, I didn't make it downstairs until 3pm. I'm not sorry. Aaron called to make sure I was breathing and I croaked at him. Lena was too cuddly to leave. I ate some toast, put some sugar into my body, took care of Sheppy, then headed out on a long walk. That's not really in line with pampering my tonsils, but sunny 70-degree weekends do not happen often in Athens between November and April, and I need to get my mileage up. The sun was beautiful, even for late afternoon, and I got 4.5 miles in an hour-seventeen. There were about 250 feet of elevation change, and the hill at the middle was brutal. Uugghh. I jogged the last 100 yards (more as mental conditioning than anything else--I go up one gait at the end). It felt wonderful. Walking compresses me a bit, and a good jog jangles all of that right out again. I'm pretty satisfied with a 15-minute mile at a walk, sustained.

Next Saturday I have the first OCR of the year, a 7k on Stone Mountain. That's my longest distance yet, about 4.3 miles. It's gonna hurt, but I'm pretty sure I can pull it off respectably. I'm trucking along at Level 3, using 8-pound weights (except for the cardio, because blargh). I feel really, really good. This is the fittest and the lightest I've been in years. I'm at 141 right now, hovering right over 140 and right at 30.5 inches still. Big threshold, apparently, and it will take some work to break through to the 130s. If I haven't broken through by the summer, I'll reevaluate. But I have three OCRs this spring, one a month, and I'll be leaping into bellydancing with a passion when we start the candle tray choreography, so I'm optimistic.

Because Rockfest was postponed, that last weekend in April is now free, so I filled it up with the best OCR I have ever seen. I'm pretty excited! (Not excited for the entry fee, however 'cheap' it is, but that's the way of things.) I have the 7k Badass Dash this coming weekend, but for April, I have the Muddy Duck Dash Please note the following:

Additional Rules

You must carry your duck at all times during the race! We kinda see it as your duck is racing, and you are just transporting it to the finishline!
Your duck can only complete the course on your person. You cannot throw, kick, punt, or heave your duck. Take care of your duck, love it, care for it, and help it get to the finishline! It must be in your possession at all times!
If you drop your duck, pick it up and continue.

Duck Safety

Your ducks are very sensitive and loving. Please treat them with care and respect.
Throwing, biting, kicking, or hurting your duck is strictly prohibited.
Ducks must be in your possession at all times in order for them to be protected. You must finish the race with your duck in order to be counted as a legitimate finisher.

AWW YEAH. SILLINESS. I LOVE SILLINESS. The duck is provided. There is a decorating contest. This will be absolutely ridiculous. I shall name my duckie, when I get him. Aaron's supposed to be doing this with me; he'll register when he starts his new job.

...Did I mention that he got a real job? Like salaried, pays-as-much-as-mine, good hours? He's going to be a low-voltage electrician apprentice. THIS IS HUGELY EXCITING. Mostly because Cracker Barrel, despite their tasty and fattening food, is as crappy an employer as most restaurants. But also, MONEY.

Race 3 is the annual Warrior Dash. I picked the Charlotte location this year. I did the Mountain City, GA location two years ago and oh sweet baby cupcakes, doing a mud run in the mountains is a special kind of masochistic. I slid down one hill on my butt rather than try to stay upright. So I'm trying Charlotte, because Charlotte is basically my favorite city ever, and because Aaron wants to do it too, and Charlotte is more central. Furthermore, it's the middle of May. So if somehow I'm already in Charleston by then (I can dream), I don't have to return to Georgia.

Then I'm taking the summer off, inasmuch as one can when one is planning a big move, a new job, and a family reunion with the boyfriend's family in a freaking mansion. August, however, has a major concert in Charlotte (because Charlotte is love) that Aaron is already frothing at the mouth for, and I am pacing around nervously and afraid of both ticket prices and them being sold out before we can leap on them. 30 Seconds to Mars and Linkin Park. That will be magical.

I was productive today. I'm doing laundry. I had a great walk. I made pesto chicken alfredo and a ton of it, because races require carbs like crazy. The litter box is clean and the trash and recycling are ready to go out. I'm clean and feeling very ambitious about tomorrow: church, maybe a second service where I actually do an adult hour, shopping, and then... then the big test. Can I do 4.5 miles AND Level 3, back to back? I reserve the right to absolutely crash into a small coma afterward. And then eat everything, because that'll be about 500 calories. But excellent prep/testing for the 7k.

I'm not sorry, body. You'll thank me later.