I Probably Should Have Just Taken a Nap Instead

Well it looks like I owe you all another apology, since I failed to post again yesterday. I waited until late in the evening to try to write something, and the electricity chose that time to start going in and out. Lee was worried about the computer getting hurt by all the excitement, so we shut it down. Good for the computer, bad for my commitment to non-stop blog domination. Oh well. Here we are today, and we all survived my absence, it seems.

Between not writing a post last night and the fact that I accomplished very little "work" today, I'm feeling kind of like a useless bum. It doesn't help that I haven't run since my doomed attempt Sunday night. Last week, I ran several times on the treadmill in the little fitness center here in Lee's apartment complex. I was working on being speedier, and it seemed to be going well, except for the part where I think I pulled my right hamstring. It was sort of bothering me over the weekend, and then when I tried to run on Sunday it was really more of a shambling jog. Granted, a shambling jog isn't that unusual for me during the end of a long run, but this was happening during the first mile, when I usually feel like a cheetah, soooo... probably not a good sign. Just FYI, here are few other things I had working against me on Sunday night:

1) It's July in Houston.
2) Even at 7pm, it was in the mid-90s
3) ... with almost 80% humidity.
4) The sidewalks around here, even in Lee's relatively nice neighborhood, are poorly maintained and pretty wonky. Sometimes you're running at a weird angle, and sometimes you're jumping over deep puddles that see to come out of nowhere, and pretty much all the time you're hopping and skipping and trying not to trip over the places where the concrete squares don't line up.
5) I had maybe only eaten two pop tarts and some nachos that day.
6) ... ok, I can't think of a number 6, but don't you think that's enough reasons?

I was trying to run 7 miles, and I'm pretty sure it would have been the first time I've run that far since I ran the half last year. The reason I was trying to run 7 miles was because I'm training to run the same race again this year. Did I tell you that? No? Well it's true. Anyway, because of all the forces (OF EVIL) working against me, I made it about 2.5 miles before I gave up and walked back home. Lame.

Since I compiled a list of ways in which Houston has sabotaged my running, I feel obligated to make a list of good things about running in Houston. (Because I am a force for justice and fairness in the world.) Here is my list:

1) There is usually a breeze, which is nice.
2) There are very few hills.
3) ... that's pretty much it. Check with me again in December and I'll see if I have more nice things to say.

I guess I'll try for 7 miles again next weekend, since I have to keep training or else I'll never win first place at the big race. Who knows? If I'm really lucky, maybe I'll drop dead of heat stroke!