Last Long Run & a Lunch Date

With my marathon scheduled for Memorial Day weekend, I took off this past Monday from work to fit in my last long training run. I had the kids for Mother’s Day weekend and didn’t want to take time away from them to fit in my training. Being the planner that I am, I laid out my running outfit, gear and fuel the evening before. I got the kids ready for school and we headed out the door around 7:30 AM.

Since I rarely have the opportunity, I also wanted to fit in a lunch at Little Diva’s school. Lunch was scheduled for 11:15. I dropped the kids off at their schools and parked the Marathon Mommy Minivan in the elementary school parking lot at 8:00 AM. I figured I could get in three hours of running (or 18 miles) before lunchtime. And, that’s what I did.

The temperatures were supposed to soar into the 80’s and that they did quickly. There were few clouds in the sky, as I zig-zagged around town from park to park. My ipod and I had a wonderful three hour route planned as I took a slow pace along the citywide path. I had no aches, no cramping, no impromptu restroom stops. I simply stopped to refill my wotter bottle twice and kept myself hydrated. I downed two gels and felt energized during the entire training run. I returned to the school’s parking lot and cleaned myself up a little, while I downed a Diet Mountain Dew.

I grabbed my insulated cooler, so that I could join Little Diva for a twenty minute lunch with her friends. I showed up at the classroom and she was surprised and excited to see me in my sweating running gear. She wondered why I wasn’t at my work or in my work attire. (Funny how neither child questioned it in the minivan just three hours earlier?!) We ate lunch, I listened to second grade gossip, and then I kissed her good-bye, as she and her friends headed out on the playground. I headed back out to the parking lot, restarted my stopwatch, and I headed out for two more miles in the heat.


Last long run is in the books, before marathon number 5 on May 27.