I was feeling a little pissy earlier. Today just was NOT going the way I intended. I was not thrilled with the fact the wind was strong enough to lift me off my feet. I was all excited to run outside, but Mother Nature had other plans. So it's a treadmill run for me. Yeah I stopped believing. But just for a minute. Then Matt set me straight. It's nice having him around. :-))
I am really pumped because this is the final long run before the race. So I hop on. Sport Beans: check. Water: check. Towel: check. Tunage: check. I ramp that sucker up. About 3 k in I can hear this squeaking noise something akin to a malfunctioning shopping cart belonging to Bubbles. I perk up the ears over the screeching Alanis tunes and yep, the 'reeeee, reeee, reeee' continues.
WARNING: There is a mild usage of the F bomb in the video clip. If that offends you, I suggest you don't click on it.
So at about the 5 k mark I reach down to grab a pack of Sport beans and the belt suddenly starts slipping. It is going about 2 mph. ARGHH. So I holler to my trusty sidekick and mechanic, Morgan to bring me the hex keys so I can torque this beyatch up. We tighten. We loosen. We silicone lubricate. Yeah....it is not going anyyywhere. F bombs are flying. This is EXACTLY the same thing that happened to me on my final long run for the Disney Princess Run, minus the smoke. Frackity Frack I have 15 more k to do. And I am DOING IT come hell or high water.
So I call a few people, put out an All Dogs Alert to my Facebook posse in hopes that someone has a key to our beloved Bow Island Facilty. After about 15 minutes YES!!! I have winner...a friend of mine has a key and says I can come get it from her. WOOP!!
So off I go to grab the key and head on in to the gym. Yeah, I am the only one in the whole entire Center Street Building. CREEPY.
I get on one of the two treadmills...it feels like it has a bad lean. I do about 1/2 mile. Then I eyeball the other treadmill, shut this one down and skooch on over to the other treadder. Alas...this one is reasonable. Onward we go.
I have my music on, singing at the top of my lungs. You can imagine the reverberation in a totally empty gym. I hope no one came to the tanning bed (which is right next door) while I was running. Oh well...let's hope they like the Prayer '94 version from Bon Jovi.
Treadmill runs are not my favorite. 20k treadmill runs are especially not my favorite. I try to entertain myself as much as possible. I sing, I do harmony, I do hand moves, runway struts, lip-synching moves..you name it I have tried it. A girl has to use the God-given skills to get through tough times. I was digging deep tonight. The only thing missing was Julio Iglesias singing in the background while I was working the Catwalk.
I watch the slowwww movvingggg miles tick off (that's right Matt...treadmills here are set up in MILES)...I am getting around to the final 1/4 mile stretch. I have exhausted all measures of self entertainment...I am tapped. I got nothin' more left. It's all about the finish now and I bring it in strong. Erase My Scars comes on the Iphone. One of my favorite tunes EVER. "Reckless and weary, I'm desperately holding on". Yeah..that's me. I am bringing it home. "I can't let go. I'm too close, too restless. I'm letting you know. I'm far too aggressive". Hell to the YEAH...I am alive and I finish that last mile off with GUSTO. WOOP! I did it...20.77k. Vegas. Here. I. Come.
So a HUGE shout out to Matt for keeping me in line, Ida for representin' and to my daughter for feeding me an incredible meal after my run. You guys are the BEST. And NEVER forget it!
Cheerio,
Wendy