Twenty Miler

Sometime during the haze of Toto's first months outside the womb I thought it would be a good idea to run a marathon.  I rationalized that between baby #1 and #2 might be the best time to check off that life goal.  Although many women run pregnant, I doubt I could keep up with the training schedule while working and raising a toddler.  

Running didn't really happen during my pregnancy.  When I was about 4 weeks along with Toto I jinxed myself by declaring I was not going to have morning sickness.  I found some statistic that said 90% of women had some morning sickness, and I was obviously in the lucky 10%.  Then I spent the next 8 weeks puking every time water touched my face.  People, I puked when I washed my face.  Is that normal?  Better yet, could you run in that condition?  So for the longest period I can remember in my life I did not work out.  I basically worked, cried, slept, and ate cheerios.  Then the glorious second trimester started and I felt amazing.  But not running amazing, more like elliptical, swimming, yoga, and light weights amazing.  So pretty much for almost a year I. Did. Not. Run.  Kind of hard to believe.  But I was growing a human.  **Otherwise occupied**  I did actually start jogging a little in my last month of pregnancy hoping that bouncing might coax Toto into the world, oh and to avoid the hunters on the trails.  What?  You don't jog alone on Michigan county trails shared by deer hunters while pregnant?  Well, then you haven't lived.  

Back to the present.  The Bangkok Marathon is coming up November 18 and my training has been going well, tons of short to medium runs with good times and less longer runs mainly due to travel and weather.  But last Saturday was my 20-miler according to Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme plan (gotta start somewhere) so I set the alarm for 4am.  It was a long 3 hours and 59 minutes, but I felt good afterwards and it gave me confidence for the marathon.  Can't wait to finish and celebrate with some Thai food.  And beer.  Lots of beer.

Enough said.

Rare sight - a carless street.

This actually exists in Manila.