Ready for race week!

Okay, it's only a 10k, nothing major in terms of what a lot of people I know are doing. However, it will be the first time I have run this distance in about 14 months and only my second 10k ever. So, I guess you can say it's kind of a big deal to me.

Last night we went to a friend's wedding reception. I wore heels, which is a huge accomplishment in itself. Prior to running I wore heels pretty often, I'm only 5'2 so they re kind of a necessity. Once I started running wearing heels became a very interesting task. I probably don't walk as smoothly in them as I once did but I am pleased to say that I wore my most prized possession of Cole Haan's and still managed to run 5.5 miles with no pain this morning. I was so excited to see that dinner was a perfect pre-long run choice for me. I ate some great grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, grilled veggies and a salad. I stuck to one glass of champagne for the evening and consumed lots of water. Trying to be smart and not hate my self the next day,

I sadly was wrong with the thought that the rain would not start until later in the day today and took my time getting ready to head out for my run. Once I was dressed in a long sleeve shirt and running tights, I looked outside to see that it was raining. I reluctantly put on my jacket hoping I wouldn't over heat today but knowing that my thin long sleeve would not serve me well if it was soaked.

All set I headed out on my run. I was pleased to remember that my first song on my run playlist is Set Fire to the Rain by Adele, this proved a nice way to start my run in the rain. I had decided to tape my shins this morning and was pleased to find that along with this and some yoga stretches ideal for runners seemed to really have helped with my tight calves and shin pain. Once I got through the first mile I felt pretty good and felt like it wouldn't be a complete disaster. I was also surprised to see so many runners out today, nice to know I wasn't the only one out there.

I was lagging as I approached my turn-around, but once I actually was headed back home I seem to have found my second wind. I will say the last 1/2 mile ( which is all uphill) was pretty hard and I was tired. My legs felt good, but my lungs were really taking a beating. But I made it and felt really great afterwards. In fact, I didn't even like I needed an ice bath. My legs felt really good, so I opted to skip the ice and took a shower and put on my compression tights instead.

I have no idea what the weather will be like on Saturday but if the rain continues it will be a muddy run, so it should be pretty interesting.