Blubber To Runner

So, 5K no. 2 is in the books… yaayyy!  Here’s the vitals:

TIME:  44:55 – yes, that’s two minutes slower than last time.  The course was a little different, as there were some hills and winding roads, and the race path was measured via the road and not the sidewalks that we ran on so it may have been a little longer than 3.2 miles.  Now, to me, those sound like excuses for my digression.  But I am told that these are legitimate factors that need to be considered and I should be going by how I felt during – and after – the race.  I felt great… really I did.  One thing I hated was that I didn’t have my iPod, as I bought some fancy schmancy Nike running earbuds that, quite frankly, sucked a monkeys ass and wouldn’t stay in my ears.  I’m open to suggestions for running headphones… earbuds (phones that go in the ear only) are NO BUENO… need something that wrap around the lobes.

WEIGHT:  288 lbs.  This is 20 lbs less than my first 5K on Labor Day weekend and officially FIFTY POUNDS down from my weight at the beginning of this journey.  Pretty huge for me, pun intended.  For the first time all of this stuff I’ve been doing hit me when I comprehended how much that really is.  A lot to be proud of for sure.

PARTNERS:  My first race partner was back home in NJ, and it honestly felt kinda odd to be racing without her.  I mean, it’s only been one race, but it was still kinda weird!  However, for this one, I had NEW race partners – three of my friends down here in VA – who agreed to run with me (Scott, Anthony and Leah).  We all finished, with Scott finishing in 27 mins, Anthony in 36 mins and Leah in 40.  Hell, Scott was so motivated he just decided to go out and run the Army 10-miler THE NEXT DAY… I mean why not, right?  I hate him… ok, not really… but yeah, I hate him.  The night before the race, I had all of them – along with our official race photographer Kari – over to my place for a nice carb-filled meal of pasta with Mom’s Homemade Sauce.  Really fun night of sharing stories, diet horrors/ successes and great company.  The race was great and I was proud of everyone… but the night before meant everything to me.  Thank you guys for coming over and running with me the next day… no matter what everyone says about you guys, I still think you’re all great.  😉

FULL MOON – Outside of the race, it was a rough weekend for me… I got a lot of shit going on in my head right now – therapy’s in a few days but until then it’s all mine for the managing.  A few months ago I was given the heads up about watching out for the craziness that comes out of the woodwork when a full moon comes.  I’m by NO MEANS one of these guys that believes in astrology, zodiac signs, horoscopes, etc… but I gotta tell ya – at least recently, that shit is SPOT ON.  Seriously, why in the hell do all the exes, nut jobs, obsessed stalkers, addicts, etc. come out at the SAME TIME each month and:

*  want to repair a broken relationship,
*  need you for something,
*  wanna go on a date,
*  want another chance at a date
*  want a pair of your boxer brie… sorry, too much.

It’s really unreal.  Try it… here’s a moon phase calendar.  Pay attention to when the next full moon comes.  Then when it’s here – pay attention to how people act.  Everyone gets a little nutty… you watch, it’s gonna happen!

NEXT RACE – How about this… its THIS WEEKEND!  The Monster Dash 5K in beautiful Point Pleasant, NJ.  Right after the race is going to be the wedding of one of my closest friends… in PA.  Yup, I’m driving from VA to run a 5K in NJ before a wedding that afternoon in PA.  Can’t wait to blog about that race along with what surely will be a great new topic or two that will surely come from the ensuing shenanigans at said wedding. 

Until then… thank you as always for the support, share my blog with your friends and, if you don’t already, hit me up on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.  Thanks again!