Saturday in the Park

Gentle reader: This is a particularly dull, all-business report. Feel free to skip it.

I ran 9.10 miles today and I lived to tell about it. Unfortunately, I did everything wrong in preparation. My energy level was zero point zero. The coach spoke of good days and bad days. This would qualify as the later. I don't know what I had for dinner last night. Not the right stuff, whatever the hell it was. Maybe a salad with craisins and walnuts? All I remember are the chocolate covered espresso beans, of which there were too many. I stayed up too late and got five hours of sleep. And, to finish myself off, I ate nothing for breakfast. My stomach was a little upset from the espresso beans and I just didn't have an appetite. I sucked down a double latte Power Gel (with 2x caffeine!) before the run and it barely made a dent.

I stopped briefly twice to try to revive my feet, both of which were sleeping like logs. All of that said, I was only 12 seconds off of my long run average pace as calculated per the CWA's formula using an abacus, slide rule, the fingers on both hands and a calculator. If my math is right, and it's entirely possible that it isn't, I would finish a marathon in a little under six hours. I have to believe I won't be in such rotten condition on race day. We have about 7 weeks before we start to taper. That's a scary thought. Too late to cancel San Diego and switch to Alaska.

That brings me to the ugly task at hand: fundraising. I am going to crank it up several notches tomorrow when I see the whole mispocheh. I need to shake at least $700 loose or I'm doomed. Alaska is looking like a very remote possibility at the moment, but I'm trying to remain hopeful. My original goal to raise $10,000 is a (crack) pipe dream. I may scrape by and get to Anchorage, but there's little chance I'll make that other goal unless Operation Sherlock is a wild success and someone with deep pockets writes a fat check. Like I said: pipe dream.

Today: 8.5
Miles to date: 94.5