Is the Tulsa Run ever going to get here?!?!

It was a crazybusy weekend! I gave my OU/TX ticket to Dave's cousin Pat and they left Friday afternoon for the game. After watching it, I am so glad I didn't make the trek down there. I stayed behind to help with my nephew's bday party on Saturday. Austin turned 13 on Friday, so he had a few friends spend the night and several more show up at 8:30 Saturday morning.

But before I go there, I got up at 4:30 a.m. on Sat to get ready for the training run. I was so pumped for it! I also wanted to again try eating a piece of toast before the run to see if it agreed with my stomach. I determined about three weekends ago that I need to eat something or else I feel really weak midrun. I first tried a Clif bar, but that upset my stomach. I didn't want to do cereal, so I tried a piece of toast. That seemed to work, but then I also determined that I needed to get rid of it before running. So I ate the toast and drank my Spark around 5 a.m. I kept in motion after eating to get my intestines going. I went outside to get the paper and see what the weather was like so I could figure out what I needed to wear. I chose a long-sleeve top w/ shorts but during the run decided I could have opted for short sleeves.

After visiting the loo, I made my way to Veterans Park where Stefanie, Sarah, Rob, Darrell, Chris, and I took off. I think there were maybe a couple of other halfers with us, but my mind has gone blank. Lauren was at the OU game, so she missed out. Darrell had taken his Spark I gave him and he said he was really feeling it and really liked it, despite what Dennis said the weekend before about it tasting awful.

BTW, Stacy wasn't running with the marathoners b/c she was in Chicago doing the marathon there. She finished in 5:19:26. Tracy's husband Noe, who has ran with us too, finished in 4:28:32. I am so proud of Stacy!!! Wonder if she will be out with us on Tuesday?

Our course was the one we did several Saturdays back when it was so, so humid. I was glad to run it again b/c I wanted to see if it was as bad the second time. (It wasn't!) We ran south on Riverside and stopped to get a drink at the bathrooms, but the water fountain wasn't working. Ugh!! I live for water breaks, so I wasn't very happy. We crossed to the east, ran through the parking lot down to 31st, took a right on Cincinnati, a left on whatever street it is that Ts w/ Cincinnati, continued east to Peoria, and up to RW. That was our first water break. We ran our Thursday night course, through the neighborhood to Riverside, and stopped at the fountain right after the I-44 bridge. That was just shy of 4.5 miles. We decided to turn around then. I ran for about 30 seconds and remembered GE had given me a salt pill to try, so I popped it. I really should have waited until the next water stop, though.

We ran the mile to RW where I was finally able to wash the pill down. I think it helped me finish the run, but around mile 6 1/2, I could have really used something to give me a boost. At RW, Rob said he was struggling, so we took it slower when we took off from there. When Stef, Sarah, Chris, and I turned off of Peoria, Darrell and Rob weren't behind us. Come to find out, Rob wasn't having a good run, so Darrell, despite being wound up on Spark, held back with Rob. That's what you call a true friend!

About that same time, Stef's 13-year-old niece Sarah, met up and finished the run with us. We again stopped at the bathrooms on Riverside to see about the water fountain. Still not working. By that time, we had about 10 minutes to go for a 1:30 finish. I told Stef, "Let's pick it up and make it in a 1:30 time." She looked at me like I was crazy, but we all picked up the pace. We did 8.96 miles in 1:29:25. (That is with my Garmin's auto pause/resume.)

As an aside, I do have a pair of new running shoes now. They are a pretty navy/aqua/white and remind me of my kitchen in my first home: navy walls, white trim, and the cool '50s aqua sink and stovetop. They are a size 7, but they are very comfy. My toes are liking the extra room, and the pesky pain I was having on the outside of my right knee has gone.

It is now 7:35. I stuck around long enough for a drink of water and Gatorade and then hightailed it home. At 21st and Peoria, the barriers were up for I don't know what, so I had to meander through the neighborhood until I found an outlet onto Peoria that wasn't blocked. Drove up to 36th and Peoria and went east until Utica where I discovered that eastbound traffic on 36th to Lewis is not allowed. So I meandered again, coming out onto 36th about two blocks shy of Lewis. By this time, it is 7:45 and I still have to shower and dress and be at a birthday party at 91st and 145th in 45 minutes. Screw it! It's still early enough that not much traffic is out, so I drove the two blocks going the wrong way in a one-way lane. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I showered and dressed (no time for makeup!) and made my way to BA to the bday party. Got the boys shuttled to the Bixby Y for basketball, then shuttled them back to Austin's house for pizza and bday cupcakes. (I had made 18 cupcakes Friday night for the boys, plus a bday cake for family the bday party on Sunday.)

I'll stop the bday story there b/c it continues into that night and Sunday, but all in all, it was a great day.

I found a couple of pictures from the Sprint Tri I wanted everyone to see. You know, after I found them, I went back a couple of hours later to look at them again and couldn't find them, so I don't know what Web site to tell you to go to, to look at them. Below are Ed (and I could tell it was him by the do-rag and soul patch) and his sister Lisa. Good job guys!

And before I sign off of this long and rambling blog, I just want to say that I am so ready for the Tulsa Run. It is not getting here quick enough for me!! I keep going to the Web site and reading about it and looking at the pictures.

I doubt I am at Tuesday's run as I have a deposition beginning at 4:30 and don't think it will finish in time for me to make it by 5:30. If I don't see you, have a wonderful run and I will see you Thursday!

Edit: My deposition just rescheduled, so I will make it Tuesday. Yippy! BTW, I hope TZ and Kathy are there to tell us about their 100-mile adventures. Heard TZ ran it in 23 hours!