8 Days of Workouts and Runs Come to an End -- 8/25

The Raleigh 8000 looked bleak for a while.  Last weekends runs were soul crushers and left me riddled with doubt.  I workout and ran for eight straight days in hopes of getting close to a acceptable fitness level so that I might complete the race.  By Wednesday night, I still was suffering from massive self doubt and hoping that Hurricane Irene would cause the run to be canceled.  I've never before felt like this before an event.  That night I shared my dread with Hiroko, and she told me "don't worry, come race day you'll start feeling excited.  It might hurt a lot, but you finish the race, and it will help you get your confidence back."  Immediately, I started to feel better.  Her faith in me steadied my nerves and helped me to relax.

Thursday morning, I forced myself to get up early and run the 5 mile training run on my half marathon training schedule.  The run wasn't good or bad.  It was just a run, and I tried to focus on my music and the predawn city and not worry about my lungs or legs.  The miles clipped of rather quickly and I felt like for the first time that I might be getting back on track.  By the last mile, I thought that it just be time to post this song on my blog enjoy:

Back in black,
I hit the sack,
I've been too long I'm glad to be back,
Yes I'm let loose,
From the noose,
That's kept me hanging about.

I've been looking at the sky,
'Cause it's gettin' me high,
Forget the hearse 'cause I never die.

I got nine lives,
Cat's eyes,
Abusin' every one of them and running wild.

'Cause I'm back,
Yes, I'm back,
Well, I'm back,
Yes, I'm back,
Well, I'm back, back,
Well, I'm back in black,
Yes, I'm back in black . . . .


5 miles 52:17.15 10:27

1 10:47
2 9:54
3 10:41
4 10:37
5 10:15