Well, I finally got smart (I think) and skipped a run this morning. Still not feeling well and trying to run through it the last 2 days doesn't seem to be a good idea. I'll get back at it tomorrow and see how things go. Hopefully in good enough shape for 13 on Saturday. Now, if taking a day off would only fix this weather . . . Shan, nice looking pie you got there!

Thanks! I hope you start feeling better!

Bugs - I agree! We can't have great runs every day! The key is to not let it get us down!!! Question: So told my cousin I would run a 5K with her. She picked the day/weekend of my 18 miler. Can I race a 5k and run an 18 miler in the same weekend? Or should I move the 18miler to the week before and then race the 5K and do a 10miler? Or since I'm racing should I bag the whole long run that weekend?

I think it depends on how hard you want to run the 5k.

And how fast your cousin is.

well It would be her first and her friend's first and DH's first. But I'm not sure that we are running it together. If she wants me to stay with them then the run won't matter at all and I can do the 18 the next day. But if we are going to run at our own paces then I will race it and try to PR... because I think I am totally capable of getting close to 30.

My legs typically feel good doing this. The LR pace feels so easy and natural compared to the lung busting 5K pace. But my dear if you do this, prepare for the first four miles of long run to feel sluggish and you will want to quit. Keep going my friend. The last few miles may hurt also, but no worse than the end of a marathon so just consider it good training.

ok with that in mind I am moving my 18 to the earlier weekend. And will do 10 miles the day after the 5k. Since it will be my first 18 miler I don't want to set it up to be rough. Plus if I do this then it doesn't matter what happens race day... if I decide to hang out with my cousin and take it easy oh well and if I decide to race it then it's accounted for... 2 today... 86.2 for the month!!! To think in April I had 32.6 miles in for the month... crazy... ok off to double check our stuff for our trip. We leave for Nashville in an hour to visit DH's SIL. We will be there till Monday. I will be running part of the marathon course on Saturday so i'll try to check in to let you know how it went... And then i'll be checking up on all of you on Monday when we get home!

Shan, Are you jumping up all the way from 13 to 18 miles? Nothing in between?

Shan, don't do this! I wasn't trying to talk you out of the 18 after the race, but you seem to not like running on tired legs. It would not phase me to run the 18 after the 5K. Actually you probably won't be really sore until Monday. Drank water all day and finally chest has stopped feeling so tight. Was not well all morning.

Erika, Sorry about the wind. It's usually this time of year you can brag about your great weather.

yeah, tell me about it. Everyone is complaining about this summer. We've had a few good days, and it seems just the last couple of weeks it's really sucked. We usually have beautiful weather here in the summer, warm and dry, but not usually too hot (i.e., over 80) and not much rain except about now... But every month this year seems to have been cooler and wetter than normal. I've lucked out the last couple of weeks and it's been nice for my runs at noon, but most of our soccer games we're used to being really toasty, and they've almost all been chilly. Now it's cool and wet... things aren't getting mature in the garden (I have flowers on my beans but no beans).. BUT the upside here is my lettuce is doing great vs. going to seed before it matures, and same with the broccoli and cauliflower... Now we have flooding... so I know it's not just a matter of feeling like it's been wet. It really has been! DH and I went to the start of my 8k tonight. It starts in the community park where my solstice 10k ends. There's a bike path that goes under the road/bridge right next to the river. The thing is under 3 feet of water! This underpass is at the start and end of the 8k race I'm running on Saturday. I wonder what they're going to do to re-route the course... 5.1 EZ PZ treadmill miles tonight with my iPod. Since I don't run outside with the iPod, it was kind of nice to pick a bunch of songs I haven't heard in ages.

See Brian I knew today would be better, couldn't have been a worse run could have it? MUCH BETTER RUN FOR ME! All that extra toilet paper I carried today, didn't need it. 9 miles, first miles were SLOW, legs were like lead, and I was flippin concerned. But in the end nice progressive run avg pace 9:15. Humid but I beat the heat. I pee all night long (frustrating) and have learned that near to the last time I need to drink a big glass of water to feel good in the morning.