This is NOT what I look like while running.  Especially today.

Today’s run was really, really hard.  No idea why.  Most of the time if I can just get past that pesky three mile mark then I am golden.  After that the miles just fly by.

But alas, this morning I hit four miles and I was more than done. Now I am cranky.  I just want to get back on the treadmill and show that sucker who is boss.  Which of course, I can’t do.  The kids are due home in 15 minutes followed by their father.

Hubby and I are actually scheduled to hit the weights tonight.  Entire body.  (Ugh, at least it is not a P90X day.  That was last week.) I know weight lifting is  excellent for cross-training but for some reason all I want to do is put on my headphones and run the stress away.  I just need that outlet.  Maybe I will try again when the kids go to bed.  That might make me feel better.

Or maybe I’ll just eat some ice cream.

My new ASICS! Awesome.

The Frederick Marathon is six weeks away.

SIX WEEKS, people.

I’m determined to be ready for the torture challenge.

This specific marathon has an interesting course. The first part is through downtown Frederick, MD.  Lovely. I’ve loved downtown Frederick ever since I was a kid.

The course takes a nasty turn from mile 15-25 traveling Interstate 144 up the the Spring Ridge development and back.  ALL HILLS.  ALL hills.

The second half of the marathon route is, quite frankly, the entire reason I didn’t do the full last year.  I was freaked out by the hills.  THEN I went and signed up for the 2008 Washington D.C. Ragnar Relay with some buddies.  That sucker had hills 3 miles directly UP.  Non-stop.  In the rain.  At 1:30am.  Complete darkness.  Worst possible case scenario EVER.

Spring Ridge hills don’t intimidate me anymore.  Oh, they will be difficult and it might even be raining.  (But at least it won’t be in the middle of the night on a Boonsboro hill.)  My big strategy for this race has been to alternate my long runs – one week Spring Ridge and 144 hills with the next being the flat part of the course.  I think it will help me cope mentally. Cause, as any runner knows, the struggle is mostly mental.

So we did 18 miles yesterday.  It was good but I’ll be honest – I was so DONE at the end.  I’ve been cross training pretty heavily (with weights) lately in the hopes of finishing strong.  We will see, huh?

BTW – When it comes to running in general, most of my family actually think I am insane.  I’m sure they are right.

So I’m in training for another marathon right now. I ran my first in 2007.

Why, exactly, am I doing another one?

Honestly? Just to make sure the first one wasn’t a fluke.

Dead serious.

I figure – If I can do TWO then that solidifies my entry into the 26.2 club, right? I’ve definitely earned the badge. I’ve done it twice. I’m officially a warrior. At least that is the way I see it.

In any event, my running partner Katie and I wake up every Saturday morning to slog through our weekly long run together.

We are slow and steady. We laugh a lot. We visualize our obnoxious race day running outfits. We talk about our kids. We strategize. Did I mention that we laugh a lot?

My husband finally gets my running obsession. For the longest time he would watch me getting ready to run and just shake his head. (Especially when I would slather myself with Body Glide.) I mean, he has a point. Why in the world would anyone want to wake up at 5:00am to participate in an activity that would take hours to complete and produce blisters the size of golf balls?

Um, because it is fun? Because it gives me piece of mind? Because it makes me feel like a bad ass? Or perhaps because it guarantees that I won’t kill him or the children?

How about… all of the above?