7 Days and Counting - Saturday, December 31st

Happy New Years Eve!!!

Today I went for my final long run with Al near his place in Lorton. His area has a lot of trails and sidewalks, so it was a great place to go running. Unfortunately, we started off on an uphill path and when I say uphill I mean uphill. I was running straight up for the first half mile. Then we turned the corner and I thought things would flatten out, but that was only the case for a few yards. For the first 40 minutes it seemed like everything was uphill. I was so exhausted. Al was in great form and I was trying to keep up with him. Then finally, I got to the point where I realized that I was trying to keep up with him! I was running faster then I normally would and I wasn't pacing myself. Once I got back into my own rhythm the run became more doable. We ran from his place to Ox Rd which is about 4 miles and came back. I felt really strong on the way back, no aches or pains. We covered a total of about 8-9 miles. I didn' have the speed and distance thingy, so I didn't get the exact mileage. I know it wasn't a half marathon, but my endurance tells me that I'm ready. I just need to remember to start slow and stick with my intervals. Lately I've been training without intervals to build up endurance, but I think I'll do better in the race if I return to intervals which will hopefully guarantee me crossing the finish line.

For New Years Eve I baked my Award winning rum cake while I sat on the couch eating candy and drinking soda. After all, this was my last chance to enjoy my 2 biggest vices before 2006. Al came over and we went to a party that his friends were throwing. I had a nice time. I played a card game called Frog Juice and watched Al win at a game called Settlement. His friends are real gamers and most of the games they owned I never even heard of. My favorite was Killer Bunnies. I didn't play it but the name definitely raises ones curiosity.

- See You Next Year