what the what?!

so this evening i set out to do 4 miles. well, i set out to do 4 miles w the new Lunatic who is going to join us, but she couldn't make it. so i went home and grabbed the Runner, put on my new 3/4 running pants (thank you big fat man in the red suit--also Mom) and the running vest i picked up today (because you can't run when you've been hit by a car, folks!) and set out to do 6. well...mayyybe 6. more like 5. or 4 1/2. i figured anything more than 4 was good. after all, it's january. the sun was down and it was about 12 (ok, possibly 13) degrees out and let's face it, i haven't done more than 3 in a very long time. it would be slow. and it would be painful. i've been here before, this starting out place. every footfall is heavy, the clothes are uncomfortable, that right song never comes on. i fought through it the last few miles of the marathon. and i prepared to do so tonight.

i was right. the first few miles were ROUGH. everything i did was wrong! the shoes weren't tied right and the new vest kept creeping up; the Runner kept giving me the look (for an example, see below) and i'm pretty sure i cried there out of sheer frustration. but i did one thing right. i didn't stop. and somewhere around mile 2 1/2, it kicked in. what's it, you're asking? well. it's hard to explain. but see when the breath began to be more rhythmic and my brain realized that my legs wouldn't stop and just gave in, when the Runner started to pick it up and actually run along excitedly, instead of loping and sniffing and shooting me whatthehellamidoinghere looks, that's IT. suddenly i was going and there was no stopping this time. my feet plonked like they were playing a tune and each sidewalk crack seemed to bow and smooth underneath me. it felt like magic, you guys, magic born on sweat and tight lungs and struggle and finding that halfway point to turn around and know that i would indeed make it home on my own two feet. it felt faster than usual, and i pushed it just a little. didn't want to run out of steam--my 2 Gu's and my lack of hydration weren't exactly smart choices to being prepped for much more than 4, but i figured it wouldn't be much farther than that. still, i felt pretty good. even the Runner stopped sniffing long enough to trot out ahead of me and have some fun--put her tail up and stuck her head in the air and waggled her behind in that way she does when she's having a good time (yes, i'm aware that she is a dog and that i'm probably spending too much time with canines and not enough time with people but whatever. she doesn't judge!). we pulled it out down the last little hill, singing along and disturbing the neighbors and being total freaks.

you guys, i got home and we'd gone 7.1 miles. doing 12 1/2 minute miles the whole way. i'll be damned if that wasn't the fastest i've EVER gone. maybe it was the little engine that could psychology, or the freezing mist that began, or the Runner ahead who was suddenly VERY hungry and ready to be home-uh now Auntie come ONNNN-UH. whatever it was, i liked it. saturday was going to be 8. now i'm aiming for 10 and i'll be happy with 9.

again, i must say WHAT the WHAT?!

today's mileage: 7.1
total mileage: 12.4

postscript:

YEAH. it's like that -->

(worst part is, it's actually really really stinking cute and so i just want to run faster to make her happy.)