Shamrock Shuffle Training - Outing 2

You would think that a woman who beats herself up in the gym (or at home doing Tae Bo) six days a week would be a competent runner. You my friends, would be wrong, as I was when I had the foolish idea to undertake this race on March 21st. It's a 8k (roughly 5 miles) and I was somehow under the impression that all the cardio I do would make this thing a breeze.

Saturday was too cold so I ran indoors on a treadmill. I logged a highly unacceptable time of 70 minutes to finish the 5 miles. I felt Ok about this for a first day until my best friend Gary, who claims he is "out of shape" informed me that he can easily run the same distance in under 42 minutes. Um....

So yesterday I went out after work, thinking that it's best to simulate actual race day conditions - weather, roads, etc. My plan was to run from my place to the intersection of Lincoln/Ashland/Belmont and back - about 4 1/3 miles in total. I was able to run for more continuous periods without stopping, which shows my lung capacity is already building. But alas, my final time was a still sorry 50 minutes - only slightly ahead of my pace from last Saturday.

I would have returned home feeling completly dejected, but I was buoyed by the new sites I encountered as I ran down Ravenswood toward Addison, a part of the street I have never explored before. I was jogging and bopping out to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance," when I saw something rad out of the corner of my eye. Samurai training! Or what I thought was samurai training, but actually turned out to be aikido. But samurai training! Swords, ponytails and everything! This is the place:

http://www.shinjinkai.org/programs_aikido.html

Really, how awesome is that? I decided to take it as some sort of sign. I WILL be a running warrior and must not give up, even if I can hardly move a muscle in my body this morning. Maybe I will take up fencing as my next project. What do you think?