Be Reasonable

When lost items are turned in at work, we send emails before giving it over to security. Yesterday a note went out that a shirt had been found in the parking garage. Not long after that a note that a make-up bag with eye drops and floss was found. These are ordinary items that would not be ordinarily misplaced if that person wasn't taking on a different routine. A shirt or makeup bag lost might mean someone is using the gym and packed these otherwise left-at-home items. A new routine or plan put into place while rushing to get that plan done may have led to losing certain items.

My last post was about rushing. I wrote it fast because I thought I needed to hurry and put something down. I had only a mere 4 minutes remaining before I needed to leave for work. Four minutes was all the time I thought I had to get it done. It wasn't enough time and even though I managed, it certainly wasn't enough time to decide I needed an adjustment to my plan about things I was doing. Not yet anyway and not after so brief and forced a moment.

Here is an opportunity to give myself and those poor people at work losing shirts and floss a break from all the rushing. This is not a four minute sprint into every new thing that needs to get done. The only adjustment needed so far is a little more thought in how speedy I really need to be to get to my objectives. It can be slowed down a bit. There will be time to get it done and I know it's going to be more than four minutes.

TT

Do it

What happened?

I've been missing many runs lately. When I say lately I mean all this month. I can't seem to get into the swing of things the way I managed the past two months. I know my self-prescribed training plan ended right after my half-marathon on October 22 but even so, I haven't been able to figure out what happened to stall and stop almost all my regular runs. I have been a total no-show, no-miles, poor attendance for the entire month of November.

I went out this morning before I could figure out a way to stop. I did a simple 3 mile run. I'm hoping the fact that it was simple, easy, and so doable I will continue and start to build up again. It won't help to spend time trying to figure out what happened when I need to just fix it from here and now and go forward. Keep moving. Keep it simple. Let's do this.
TT

Plans change

Ooops.

I took one day off from work and was totally distracted. I managed to keep myself so busy I didn't think of sitting and writing or to get out and run. Actually, those things did pass through my mind but I did other things and not those.

I have decided its times to turn my running schedule around again. Since the time change and the cooler temperatures I am thinking to get my runs done after work instead of waking before the dead and going to the gym. Since I've only gotten a few sporadic runs this entire month it's time to change things up again. I am hoping to get myself out there again and if it doesn't work I'll think up another plan that might.

Times are a changing. Again.
TT

Perfect reasons

Thunder and Lightning

The rain finally poured down. There was a lot of it. My guess it waited and waited until it was bulging and bursting at the seams. It couldn't wait another day or moment and spilled out while we slept. All of it rushing down from the sky with angry, rolling blasts of growling clouds and flashes of light. It sounded great to me as I knew I still had time before getting out of bed. Then I fell asleep for a second and there it was. The sound of some weird light-hearted, tinny melody coming from my nightstand. The alarm. I was supposed to get up and run. I had every excuse not to get up. Tired, raining, storm - perfectly good reasons.

I didn't use any of them. Got up and ran 4 miles.(gym, yeah, but ran)
TT

Procrastinated

New week.

Monday morning and I got up an finally got my first run for November. Talk about being lazy! I put off a run an entire six days and then on the seventh I managed to get my duff out of bed in time to run a short 5K before work. I have now officially started the month of November, on a Monday, on the 7th, and put myself into a good frame of mind for a new week.

Why did I put if off for this long.
TT

Battle of Hill-otes

This past Saturday I ran a half marathon. It was a tough one to conquer since it's only description on it's website was: Description: Hilly. It was telling no lies. It was aptly named the Battle of Hillotes which was a play on the name of the small town of Helotes that it took place.

There was no way I was coming home without finishing. I took the past seven weeks and three days following a training plan I devised for myself by plotting it on a spreadsheet. I took 3 or 4 other 10 and 12 week plans that I had and figured out how I could improvise them into something I could actually use. I don't know if it was a good plan or not but it got me to where I wanted to go and that was crossing the finish line.

It was more than planning. It was getting up at 4:00 am and running 3 or 4 sometimes 5 miles before work. The alarm would go off and I would push to get up. Some days it was easy and some days there was no way I believed I hadn't just closed my eyes to fall asleep. There were a few mornings I was up and dressed to run before my brain realized I was ready to go. Coffee was gulped down in a few, hot sips and left for later. I had a finish line I needed to cross. I had work to do before I got there.

The morning of the race it was a cool 49-50 degrees but I knew it would warm up quickly. It only took until mile 2 to get the feeling back in my numb fingers and that was the last I thought about the weather. I had to stare down some mean hills and not just one or two but six, seven, steep and cruel ones. I got to the top of one and just looked out. The sun was coming up and there was a view to see for miles. This is why I do this. When and where else could I have been in this moment.

Looking back at my splits my pace was fast coming up through mile 7 but the hills had taken it out of me and I slowed to some snails pace the last half. I don't know what I was doing on mile 12 except maybe crawling? But none of that mattered since I had no pace goal. I only wanted to defeat the finish line and I did that last Saturday.

Since there aren't many in my age group that ventures out, I placed second in my category with a time of 2:38:38. I was a good 14 minutes behind first place (damn mile 12)! I can at least look at the bright side that the person behind me came in right at 3 hours which put me a good 40 some minutes ahead. It doesn't really matter since all of this is extra. My only wish was to get it done.

Done it is. I'm re-grouping to see what's next.
TT

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Day 28

It's almost the end of the month and I realized I hadn't updated any of my status lately. It hasn't been because I haven't been doing the work, I just haven't sat and gotten it down here.

Day 1 - 6.24 miles
Day 2 - 3.55 miles
Day 3 - 8.17 miles
Day 4 - 5.07 miles
Day 5 - 4.17 miles
Day 6 - 5.63 miles
Day 7 - Rest
Day 8 - Rest
Day 9 - 6.41 miles
Day 10 - 9.08 miles
Day 11 - Rest
Day 12 - 5.27 miles
Day 13 - 4.52 miles
Day 14 - 4.22 miles
Day 15 - Rest
Day 16 - 4.73
Day 17 - 4.73
Day 18 - 5.05
Day 19 - Rest
Day 20 - Rest
Day 21 - Rest
Day 22 - 5.8
Day 23 - Rest
Day 24 - 12.04
Day 25 - Rest
Day 26 - 3.48
Day 27 - 5.05
Day 28 -
Day 29 -
Day 30 -

That brings it all up to date. Only the three days left in the month but I have a total of 103.7 miles for September. It was the goal to hit the 103 miles this month because I had gone through all my stats since 2010 and the last time I had a distance that high in a month was September 2011. That's a lot of years in between without coming close to that distance in a month. 
TT

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Day 14

It is the end of Day 14 and I'm still here. It may not seem that way but I am. Never left, still on the program, still chugging away at it every day. Or mostly. I can give a run down of activities to prove it and so here it is.

Day 1 - 6.24 miles
Day 2 - 3.55 miles
Day 3 - 8.17 miles
Day 4 - 5.07 miles
Day 5 - 4.17 miles
Day 6 - 5.63 miles
Day 7 - Rest
Day 8 - Rest
Day 9 - 6.41 miles
Day 10 - 9.08 miles
Day 11 - Rest
Day 12 - 5.27 miles
Day 13 - 4.52 miles
Day 14 - 4.22 miles

That's a total of 62.34 miles if my calculations are correct and tomorrow is mid-month with a half month still to go. Not such a bad showing so far. The momentum is building. Let's see where it goes from here.
TT

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Day 7

I am up later than usual but I purposely set my alarm this time. It isn't like Day 1 when I missed an entire 45 minutes of extra morning time to run 3 miles. That day worked out fairly well in the end with some adjustments to the day. The plan is still in place and today's later awakening is all in that same plan. Here is a simple rundown.

Day 1 - 6.24 miles
Day 2 - 3.55 miles
Day 3 - 8.17 miles
Day 4 - 5.07 miles
Day 5 - 4.17 miles
Day 6 - 5.63 miles

It was an aggressive first week but since I made up the plan using four or five other 'real' plans I know I can do some change-up if necessary. It hasn't been necessary and today was a planned rest day. Tomorrow is too, but I might use my prerogative to change it up. I haven't made that decision yet.
TT

Thursday, September 1, 2016

It's Day one.

I set my alarm for 4:50 instead of 4:05. That simple transposition of a zero and a five made the difference in having the time to get a simple three mile run done early this morning or not. I was happily going to hop right out of bed when the alarm rang to get myself geared up.  Instead I'm sitting here in front of my laptop racing with my fingers instead. It doesn't count. So I will need to gather myself and make a simple plan B. This won't be thwarted on the first day!

The schedule will need to shift. It will need to be moved to later this afternoon instead of early pre-dawn. I will stick to the plan I made and see where it takes me. I can't always plan without knowing there will need to be room for change.

September 1, 2016 - 0 miles :(
TT

Just go

It's Sunday afternoon 2:35 and the family is expected over at 3:00.  I should be hitting the shower since I took advantage of the time it would take to wait on my washer to finish goint through it's cycle to get a in a quick three miler.  Well, I managed the run, got the laundry in the dryer, but I'm sitting here instead of getting changed.  This will be the second day that I didn't think I would get a run in but did.  Am I racing the month?  I knew I wasn't going to hit the 75 miles for the month I got in January but I have hit the 50 I thought I would for February.  It helps that I just want to get out there.  I'm just wanting to run.  Nevermind I'm cutting it close with company coming over.  Nevermind I have laundry sitting to be done.  Nevermind.  I'm better and happier than if I put it off and wish I had done it but didn't.  But I did.  And you know what?  I'll be ready, the laundry will get done and I'm happy.  54.73 miles this month my counter says.  It's not 75 but it's more than the 50 I had planned and it wouldn't be there if I didn't get up and go.  Don't think, just go.
TT

Went

So I went. Finally. To the gym. And yes, it felt good and yes, I'm happier that I did and yes, I fussed and fudged for no good reasons. Yes. Yes. But Jay told me that part doesn't matter. Leave the past. He called me five minutes before I was to leave from work today to tell me what to do. He said go home, change and go. Don't stop to do anything else. Home. Change. Go. No thinking, no stopping to just do this, no nothing. It worked.
I had tried to get him to go to the gym with me yesterday as a way to get there. I asked him in the morning that if I was dressed and ready when he got home after work could we go to the gym together? I was stunned when he said yes. He said yes and I was about to go on that we didn't have to stay long and we only...he stopped me and said, "I already said yes so leave it." I stopped talking. Of course, he called me later that afternoon to tell me he had forgotten he was going to meet some friends after work. Oh. Hmm. I asked him, "Who are you planning to blow-off?" He asked, "What do you mean?"
"Nevermind. You just answered my question." And it was okay he blew me off. I hadn't expected him to go in the first place. But since he knew I was starting to stress and obsess he found another way to try to help me out by calling me five minutes before I was to leave work. That was when he knew to give me the instructions to go home, change and go to the gym.
I did and I went and I feel better. I'll tell Jay thanks. I shouldn't remind him about blowing me off though, should I? Nah.
TT

Get going

Get up, get up, get up.  My alarm is tinkling out it's pre-programmed tune to let me know it's the time I set it to wake me.  It really is too early.  The fact that I was awake 45 minutes before it went off doesn't help.  I think to myself I should get up and head to the gym.  I could squeeze in at least 30 minutes and still have time to shower and dress before work.  I think that and get up.  But somewhere in the time during making coffee and brushing my teeth the thought is thrown out.  I've abandoned the idea of rushing out for that workout to rush back home to get ready to rush to work.  I have so much more time after work.  It's makes sense to go then. So I will put it off and take the chance of the possibility I will abandon the idea of going after work.  Like I have done too many times already.
It makes me wonder where my motivation went.  How did I lose it and, more importantly, how do I get it back? Maybe a break is what I needed.  Nah.  I'm feeling fine except for this lapse.  Jay keeps telling me to do it when I feel like it and don't worry if I don't.  I can't seem to process it that way.  If I left everything to when I feel like it I don't think I would get a whole lot done.  But I don't know.
I know I am going to have to break through soon.  I know the one thing I don't feel like doing is this nothing I've been doing.  I don't want to wake up to give myself the opportunity and then talk myself out of it.  So if it makes sense not to go early and I have time after work it seems I already worked out the logistics.  If only I can get my head out of the mix and stop this mental processing.
I can be such the pain!
TT

Move forward

I knew I needed to write a new post this morning.  If for no other reason than to collapse my archive that is to the right-hand border of this page.  I knew getting up this morning that it is a new month and the only way to make all those older posts go away is to write a new one at the beginning of a new month.  It isn't really about making them go away but putting them aside so I can concentrate on what is ahead.
I ended last month by getting to my goal of running 75 miles for the month.  If I stop too long to feel good about it I won't do a thing about accomplishing anything this month.  I was lucky enough to get some great comments on the past two posts of the month.  It's amazing what a little encouragement can do.
I will need to match my 75 mile goal again this month.  I haven't really put together much more than that.  I know I need to take a closer look at my nutrition which has been sorely lacking in what I should be consuming.  Let's face it, I haven't been doing well with what I have been eating lately and I'm feeling the bad effects.  Don't think it doesn't play a part in the whole scheme of things.  It does and I am feeling some ill effects of eating things I thought would make me feel good when they really slowed me down instead.
Then I need to get some new running shoes.  What better motivation to get out and run than to have a new pair of dogs?
It isn't really a complicated plan.  I'm still thinking it through and will need to set up some weekly goals and schedules.  It's the first day of the month and I'll start now.
Let's put last month away and start up new.  What's to do and how do I do it?
One step at a time, but always moving forward.
TT

Factoring

There isn't anything much better than reaching a goal.  There is something very special in that feeling of capturing an accomplishment and getting it done.  When you start out you put something out there that you think you might have the capacity to do but there is always the knowledge that there might be factors that come into play that might prevent you from getting to that destination.  Sometimes you have no control over those factors and sometimes you break through no matter what.
With only 10 miles left to accomplish my goal of running 75 total miles in January I ran 6 miles yesterday.  That left me with 4 miles to run before the end of this month.  I went to the gym early this morning (no way I was running outside...it was in the upper 30's)! and I was standing at the door while they unlocked it to open.  I was fully determined to knock off my 4 miles and head home since I have all kinds of things going on today.  (I really want to write today but don't know if I'll get the chance - drat those nasty factors coming into play).
I didn't waste any time and was literally off and running.  And I kept running.  And I felt really strong and I kept on. Four miles came and went and I was still hoofing it.  Four and a half, five, six.  Okay, it was seven miles when I finally stopped.
Needless to say, I got my 75 miles in for the month of January.  Actually it's 78 with two days left.  So I'm thinking...wait, shouldn't I leave it alone since I will be trying for another goal in February and it's a shorter month?  But 5 more miles this month would put me at 83 which is about what I would need each month to have 1000 miles by the end of the year.
Dash the thought!  What am I thinking!  I will just say I know it's there but not an absolute...not now, not yet.  There might be too many of those factors that come into play over that extended period of time. 
I will just appreciate that special feeling I have now for reaching my goal.  No need to embellish it at the moment.  It feels good and there's nothing better.
TT

Ten more

I'm ten miles away from my goal this month of running a total of 75 miles.  It isn't that big a distance - the 10 miles.  I've managed really well considering that in the middle of the month, on January 12, I only had 12.5 miles.  That was the day I went on vacation and that was the day I decided I needed to put this year back in order as far as my running was concerned. 
I started on my first day off and went down a path that took me to easy, fun, and solid runs.  Did I go to the gym for some of those?  Yes, I did.  I fit it into that schedule without a hitch.  The work-outs flowed and I managed quite well.  I ran seven consecutive days and a total of nine workouts for the time I was off and I completed an additional 41 miles to add to the 12.5.  This past week of going back to work has proven to be more of a struggle.  I took more days off from runs than I originally planned.  I ran at the gym once and then on Thursday the weather opened it's secret door and let me in to run outdoors.  I set my sensor for a four-miler and once I hit that mark, with the outside temperatures and brilliant sunshine, I just couldn't stop.  I took off and ran until I was just over six miles...a 10K if you will.  So great!  That is where I am now.  I have the time to put in 10 miles to hit my goal for the month.  It's just that my motivation keeps taking a roller coaster ride that seems to be affected by this weather lately.  It goes from gloriously beautiful to downright dreary with each day.  I need to keep reminding myself that my choices are to go to the gym or run outside and not if I don't run outside, I don't run at all.
Another pothole in my mind along the way is that I can't seem to go longer distances on the treadmill at the gym or have inspired runs like I did last Thursday.   But the gym can keep me consistent so I have to admit that positive and the added miles adds another layer to that foundation I am building. 
So it seems I might have to drag myself to the gym this morning with the weather misbehaving yet again.  I have ten miles to go for the month.  If I get in at least 3 or 4 miles today I will feel much better than if I do zero or zero today and still have 10 to do.  I need to get off my princess arse and come back feeling better than I do now.  It's seems like such a hard task at the moment when I would so much rather...
Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi.  You're my only hope.

Stay Strong, princess.
TT

Easy

I had a good 7 mile run yesterday afternoon.  I managed 27 miles for the week and in really good shape to come in with at least 75 miles for the month.  I would have hoped for 100 but I didn't get focused early enough to make the numbers works.  I'm working on it.
My focus seems to be finding it's place.  I think it made it enormously easy for me since I was off of work.  I really got into the free mornings that allowed me to run when I would normally be at my desk.  I'll work out the details of keeping it up at another time when I go back to work tomorrow.  But it isn't like I haven't done it before and now I'm feeling it flow.
Easy, breezy, beautiful.  And I'm not talking a cover girl commercial.
TT   

Tough thing

Early this morning I got an e-mail from Selma about a man that had participated in yesterdays marathon.  It was sad news and I thought one way and the other about if I would even mention it here.  There isn't really a lot of news so far except that this 32 year old man crossed the finish line, collapsed, and died.  The young daughter of a friend at work actually was there and working as a medical volunteer when it happened.  They tried to revive him but he never came around.  I asked my friend how this daughter was doing.  He admitted she was upset and there is no mistaking I understand it must have been tough on her.
And how tough is something like this on everyone?  It was tough on Selma.  I could tell.  She ran the half marathon with me last year.  It's got to be tough on other runners.  I've heard of this happening before.  I've read articles about someone over-hydrating during a race.  Yes. Over-hydrating...it's possible and it killed her.  You have to remember that the odds are not very high for this type of thing to happen.  They believe this 32 year old man yesterday might have had cardiac arrest.  I read there is only a 1 to 50,000 chance that someone will die from it.  There has to be more to the story but even when the autopsy is complete I don't know how much it will really tell us.  I don't.
I wonder since these races have become so widespread that people don't realize it isn't something you decide to do the week before, register and run.  You cannot possibly be prepared for this type of physical endurance without putting in a lot of miles over a period of time.  You can't.  It takes that time because your body needs to build and you have to be aware of what goes on while you are doing it.  How long and how much trial an error did I put in just to figure out dry wheat toast is about all I tolerate when going out for a long run?  Trainers and articles written by experts will give you a list of things to eat prior but the dry toast is the only thing that works for me.  Everything else upsets my stomach on long runs.  I wouldn't know that if I didn't take the time to work that out while training prior to a race.  And there are so many other factors beside the physical that you might not know if you don't put the time in to train.  Don't run a race just to say you've done it. 
I don't know the circumstances surrounding what happened to this young man.  I don't have the answers to why this happened.  I do have Jay telling me to stop running half marathons every week.  I explained that in all likelihood that will not be the norm.  I explained I did that in my own neighborhood within a 4 to 5 miles radius of our home.  I always carry my cell phone, I have phone numbers on an metal ID clipped to my shoe and yeah - if I don't feel terrific, I'll walk a bit to even my breathing.  I have a phone to call if it ever got so bad that I needed someone to pick me up. 
It's a sad story and I will probably never know all the reasons why it happened.  I can only make the best and right decisions for myself.  I don't go at this blind.  I have facts and experiences.  If I don't feel well, I'll cut a run short.
It's a sad, upsetting, thing to have happened and everyone wishes it hadn't.  It's a tough thing.
 
Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.
TT
-------------------------
Tuesday, 11/15/11 - "The Medical Examiner says Fernandez's autopsy was inconclusive".   
    

Half and Half makes Full?

This Sunday is exactly a year from the date I ran my first official half marathon.  I trained, stressed and completed a personal challenge I wouldn't have thought I could do when I started out.  Last year I worked very hard, over many months, to get to that day last year and accomplish what I was able to accomplish.  It's been exactly a year. 
This year started out and I didn't know if I wanted to spend the time training.  I thought I would put the decision off and just run and not worry about training and if I changed my mind about training and enter the race I would.  I never changed my mind.  It was my decision to not register for the race and I stuck to that decision.   I didn't register, I didn't train, but I kept running.  Last Sunday - one week ago - I went out for a morning run in my neigborhood and instead of the 4 miles I had set on my workout sensor I completed a half marathon.  I ran 13.1 miles last Sunday.  I felt good.  I felt as if I had completed the same task as I had last year - my way.  Then, somehow during the past week I was able to let the good feelings of accomplishing this personal goal get away from me.  I had many people ask if I was running the half marathon scheduled for today.  I explained no, I had made the decision not to train.  They seemed surprised, since they knew I have been running and since I had done it last year.  It was a natural reaction, I guess.  But more and more people asked and as the week went on, I was beginning to feel as if I was, somehow, letting everyone that asked down by not running the official race.  I was losing that great feeling of accomplishment I had even though I had actually run the distance already.  Finally, by the end of the week, I was feeling pretty low and knew I had to cut it out.  I was finally able to realize that it wasn't the case.  I was thinking too hard.  If I had registered for the race I would have been doing it for them and not for me.  What would be the point in that?  So I let it go and didn't think about any more.  It would be fine.
This morning I awoke early and realized I had left my upstairs window open.  The weather outside was wonderful!  I thought, I'm going out and run a 10K - 6.2 miles.  I geared up, set my workout sensor and started my run and it was fine.
You know how this goes, don't you?  I didn't stop at a 10K.  I didn't stop at 10 miles.  I ran the distance of another half marathon (two Sundays in a row) - 13.1 miles.  I had to.  Think of all the people I might have let down.  But no.  It wasn't about them at all.  I didn't give them a thought at all.  It was about me and what I felt I could accomplish.  It felt good and this week if anyone even asks if I ran the race I guess I'll say no but I ran the distance - twice.  And for those who might be interested in the times...since some people think that is important...  My first official half marathon time last year was 2:28:18.  Last Sunday (and please realize my sensor isn't completely accurate) my time for an unoffical half marathon was 2:29:57.  Today, a week later, my half marathon time was 2:25:53.  Go figure.  I think it might have been because today I didn't stop to shake the pebbles out of my shoes the way I had to do last week.  I feel pretty good.  This time I don't think the feeling can be shaken.  I did it.  Again.
I guess my next question is...
Does running two half marathon one week apart count as running a full marathon?  Nah - doesn't.  But it sure feels pretty good just the same!
TT

13.1 Half Marathon

On a Sunday like today, just a week shy of this same time last year, I completed an official half-marathon.  That same race is coming up next Sunday.  I ran the 13.1 miles on a cold Sunday morning a year ago with the many thousands of others that had gathered downtown to run this race through that part of the city.  It was an experience I won't likely forget anytime soon. 
I woke at about 4:00 that morning to have time to eat the small breakfast I knew would be needed.  I knew I would also need that time to make the drive downtown, find parking, and be shuttled to the starting line.  After arriving it was time to wait for the race to start, but once it got going I was feeling fine.  I have to say, and it was proven in the pictures by the smile on my face while running, that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I had trained and ran consistently leading up to the event.  During that time I suffered a heel injury and had to stop training for a month in August but then picked it up again and was ready by November.  The day of the race was unbelievable.  I never could have imagined the well-wishers lining both sides of the streets the entire route of the race.  They were cheering and held signs of encouragement all along the way.  Maybe that was what was making me smile so big as I ran but I think it had more to do with the sense of accomplishment I was feeling.  It was an endurance race and it was about not giving up and to keep trying when things didn't feel perfectly right.  I had done everything I could up to that point to make it what it should have been.  I trained and I was confident I had equipped myself for the task at hand.  And I did it.  I ran the full 13.1 - half marathon last year at age 55.
This Sunday morning is a week away from that same race of last year.  I have gone this entire year deciding I didn't want to train but I have kept running.  I've hit some spots during this year when I wasn't as entirely consistent as I felt I should have been but I've kept it up.  I had one of those inconsistent spells recently when I hadn't run since Oct 22 until yesterday when I ran three miles at the gym.  Then this morning dawned early.  The time change had me awake at 4:00am with no chance of further sleep.  I didn't think about it until later that it would have been the same time I had gotten up for the race last year but this time I didn't eat breakfast or drive or wait to start.  I cleaned the kitchen and had coffee.  Then, with the weather a mild 71 degrees and cloudy, I set my sensor for a four mile run around the neighborhood and hit the street.  Then what happened I can't begin to explain.  It wouldn't make sense to any sensible person but it felt fine to me.  Does that tell you anything about me?  I hit my four mile marker and kept going.  I took the longer route and lapped it again.  When I reached 8 miles I knew there was no stopping.  I wasn't going to stop five miles short of 13.1.  No way.  At that point I had a mantra going through my head.  One more mile.  One more mile.  It doesn't have to be fast, this is an endurance race, just keep going, one more mile. 
So this morning I ran 13.1 miles - a half-marathon at the age of 55.  Since everyone asks this question - my official time last year was 2:28:18.  This morning (and this is totally unofficial since my sensor can be off at times) was 2:29:57.  It wasn't a huge difference.
There were no well-wishers lining the streets this morning in my neighborhood and I hadn't particularly equipped myself for the task.  I hadn't even brought along my water flask since I was only planning four miles.  It wasn't an official race but then I didn't officially train.  Does that balance it out?  I think so.  And if not...I did it anyway. 
Rock on!
TT