hell week

"Charlotte treated marriage like a sorority she was desperately hoping to pledge."
~Carrie Bradshaw in the season 1 Sex and the City episode "Bay of Married Pigs"

OK, maybe I don't view marriage like that.  Well, ask me again in a year or 2 :-P  But after hearing that line while watching a rerun of that episode...got to thinking about some other parallels...like maybe the "BQ club" is a "sorority" of sorts?  And if so, then this week is definitely hell week.  Yeah, hell week.  If you were a sorority girl or a frat boy, you know.  I was actually lucky in the case that we didn't have it as tough as others, but with the time commitment that week took, I was honestly surprised I still had a boyfriend after all was said and done...ok getting off the topic again.

So this is the last week before taper, the last 20-miler, highest mileage, the whole nine yards.  When everything hurts...legs, feelings...well maybe not as much the latter but seriously, your body is just tired and achy and doesn't want to do anymore, but the mind says to just hang on, there's a light at the end of the tunnel and that is starting next week.  Needless to say, I am treating my legs with kid gloves this week.  Extra stretching, icing the legs, taking the pace easy.  My last 20-miler will be Saturday...will be running Grete's Great Gallop with 7 miles beforehand...and hoping to hit marathon pace for the last few miles.  We'll see how that goes.  And I am gonna treat it as a "dress rehearsal" of sorts for the big one...the clothes, the shoes, the accessories-if they can all work on a 20, they'll work for 26.2.  

What else...tonite was a 5-mile fun run in Central Park, a "benefit" run for the Central Park Conservancy and the cleanup efforts from the August 18th storm.  One of my Flyer teammates put this thing together and did a great job, there was a great turnout.  Was more than happy to swap a hard workout for an easy run for the cause tonite, especially since some teammates who I hadn't seen in awhile were out.  The next 2 days will be morning runs for me...good luck with that, especially Friday as I am anticipating a semi-late nite tomorrow nite...getting all the socializing out of the system before the taper. :)

And all you reality TV fans...anyone else think that The City will trump The Hills this season?  I'm not feeling the Kristin Cavallari love...bring back LC!!  And since when is everyone BFFs with Speidi again?  And can Justin Bobby just GO AWAY?  On a different note, I'm liking this season of Amazing Race so far...

And to sign off, I do have photographic evidence that I suffered through 18-rain soaked miles...courtesy of Crazy Bandanahead.  Thanks, bandana-brain :)  I believe this was on the second loop...why the hell was I smiling?  Oh, I probably saw the camera and just had to fake it til I make it...but I did :)  And I hit a mileage PR in September...204 miles!!  Eek...no wonder I'm tired...