Wednesday's afternoon run was record time for me!! YAY me. Felt terrific too, especially on the last stretch - so fast and free feeling!

Thursday was 3 miles, tiny bit of a challenge. Maybe I pushed a little too hard on the fiver than I meant to. I get to see all kinds of wildlife when I run almost every day. And the scenery is a picture. So all in all it was lovely.

Thursday I also began a 10 day cleanse. Biotics 10-Day Cleanse. I was advised to begin on Monday, but when I looked at the calendar and found that I would be cleansing into my pre-race week, I said NO WAY! I felt that would not be in my best interest - so I began early. The "shake" mixes taste like sandy, gritty water - I won't lie - they are gross. But I got used to them by Saturday am. Taking the supplements is sometimes filling as there are so many! But since I'm training I was advised NOT tp go off my proteins completely, and not avoid carbs totally. However, I am not interested in carbs very often anymore for whatever reason. I seem to eat a bowl of cereal or a piece of toast every other day or so. Protein, fruit, and veggies has been my main diet for a little while now... so according to the instructions I was given I didn't need to change a whole lot. The Dr. said that I shouldn't do the cleanse over more than one weekend, as most people alter their diet on weekends. Apparently, I don't. I don't eat most of what I cook for the fam anyway. I can't eat tons of carbs - they set my hypoglycemia off, I don't like ham, or a lot of what they do like, I stay away from potatoes (they just don't appeal to me), etc. So my diet is really very stable.

The cleanse goes like this: 1 shake and bag of supplements for breakfast. 1 "Clean" lunch, there's a list of clean foods you can choose from like eggs and fish, etc, plus a bag of supplements. Late afternoon another shake. Then dinner Clean foods as per list and a bag of supplements. Since it's not a fasting cleanse it's not a real challenge to the body/self control, so it's been very easy to follow and stick to.

Friday - REST!!! - I NEEDED it too. Baby Shower Friends over - nice day!

Saturday- Okay I set out this am intending to run my prescribed (per training schedule) 10 miles. Due to some scheduling changes and my own miscalculation, the race comes one week early in my training schedule... so what did I feel it necessary to do this am? Run all the way out main road (6.2 miles) and back. So today instead of running a little bit over the 10% everyone says you should increase distance by, I felt I should go ALL THE WAY and run 12.4 miles. I'm being completely honest when I say the last 3 miles were ROUGH. Last night, because of company and fun, was VERY late. So I was tired to begin with! Then I get on the road and decide WHAT?? The last mile and a half were the HARDEST I have EVER run!! I was growling and sometimes even crying a little. And when I jogged into the drive and kept moving, walking, because it HURT NOT TO MOVE! I was just in shock really. I shocked the heck out of my muscles, and my body was NOT happy about it. Ultimately I knew if I made my body go out the 6.2, it would just carry me back... it always happens. But my body was not particularly happy with the plan to begin with, let alone when I was approaching the homestead, uphill. So I walked a bit in the yard, almost crying in relief, and seriously UNCOMFORTABLE! Came in and stretched while I heated up some leftover chicken. I just kept circling in the kitchen, kind of scared to stop moving completely. Finally my chicken was done, so I added some salad and an apple. I ate, and kept fidgeting, and began icing my right foot. So then I get into a COLD shower - not fun, but necessary... then by the time I'm dressed again I was sooo tired. So I took the ice to bed, and laid down thinking just a few minutes... well the minutes turned into almost an hour, WHILE I had ice encircling my foot. Then I was sort of nervous that I would be stiffer than imaginable bc of the long stillness... But I crept out of bed finding myself rather surprisingly limber! Mini miracle for me!!

Now I am re cooping for the rest of the day... fueling up with loads of water, continuing my cleanse - I am not interested in eating anything extra really. I'm interested in eating LESS at this point. But I will get a protein shake down if nothing else tonight. And now I feel like I'm still in a little shock... I went 12.4 miles. I did. I did. That means nxt Sat I run 10 or 11 miles, then the nxt wkend is the 1/2 Marathon, which would be less than a mile longer than what I ran this week. huh. If I can run an extra 2 1/2 miles on top of the 10% increase, SURELY running the 1/2 marathon will be a piece of cake!

So, I'm tired, a bit sore, and a little run down (pardon the pun) - but HOPEFUL! and a little excited!

Sweat on!

PS- oh yes, I MUST note here... I peed behind a hay bail on the run. Bladder was going to explode! Ya do what cha gotta, right ? hee hee!