The Dilemma

Chalk up another 4.96 race miles to my goal of 50, add that to my 13.1 for a total of (drum roll) 18.06. Leaves 31.94 to go.

I almost didn't do the Brea 8K this morning.

Didn't really commit until 10 minutes before the race. I just wasn't into it. Couldn't get myself motivated this morning. When I finally decided to leave home at 7:15am (race starts at 8 and I still hadn't registered), I had to scrap ICE off my windshield...yes,...ICE. First I tried the water sprayer thingy and the windshield wipers....didn't work....so I tried them again, ...... and again.... and again. When I finally succumbed to the fact that it wasn't melting the ice I looked around in the car....what can I use....? All I had was an umbrella. So I get out of the car and scrap some figure eights on the windshield thinking maybe that will weaken the plate of ice thereby allowing the sprayer thingy and wipers to do their job.

Nope. Didn't work. Geeze, I don't even want to do this race anyway.

FINE, I'll use the bar-b-que scraper in the garage (if I didn't have all this crap in the garage, I could park my car in there and I wouldn't have ice on the windshield in the first place).

Ok, ice off.

About a mile from home I realize I don't have my trusty Garmin with me. CRAP!!! I have to go back for it. On the way back home as I turn on my street I have to swerve to the right to avoid a head on collision with a woman who did not take the time to scrape the ice off her windshield with a bar-b-que brush/scarper. Geeze.

Now I want to do this race even less than I wanted to do it an hour ago.

Garmin on wrist, clear windshield, back on road.

The Brea mall is like 5 minutes from my home. You'd think I'd be able to get there very simply. But I tried to be tricky and every time I try to be tricky I get myself in trouble....I knew I wouldn't be able to get on Birch, so I stayed on Lambert, thinking I'd be smart and to go to Kramer to get into the backside of the Target parking lot. GEEZE, what a maroon. I should have turned on State College! Got caught up in detours for the race.....man I should just go home, I don't want to do this race anyway!

Oh and while I'm doing all this.....I had decided to wear a different pair of shoes. They are exactly like the shoes I've been wearing, but I thought they were in better shape and therefore I would perform better. Since my podiatrist has ordered me to wear my orthodics 24/7 (even in my running shoes) I had to pull out the pads in those shoes, and insert the orthodics. Anyone who wears custom orthotics knows that they squeak like crazy when you put them in a new pair of shoes and you have to put baby powder in the shoe, insert orthodic, and more baby powder to squelch the squeaking. So I took the powder with me when I went back for Garmin. Figuring I'd powder up at red lights. Easier said than done. Let's just say if I'm pulled over in the near future, I'm gonna have a hard time explaining that white powdery substance all over the passenger seat.

Finally I get parked....15 minutes before the race start time. Run to the mall parking lot and look for the late registration table. Where the heck is it? One person sends me one way, another person sends me another way....finally I find someone with authority. Security,...he knew the right way.

Finally, I have my bib, I'm heading to the start, I see Julie H., she takes a pic of me (I realize later I have one shirt up while I'm pinning the bib on as I pose for the pic, geeze, I don't even want to see what THAT looks like. (Julie still rocks even if she's taken a very unflattering pic of me....she placed 3rd in her age group in the "Race on the Base Tri" yesterday, Whoo Hooo!!!!!)

I search the crowd for my bestest running buddy Alicia, to no avail. I look for my friend Carolyn who comes all the way to Brea from Lancaster almost every year to partake of "The Best Post Race Food Court". I don't see anyone! Geeze, I so don't want to do this race!

And we're off. Again, I'm at the back of the pack. I hate the way this race back tracks through Poplar past the community center, and that's what I'm thinking the whole time......heck I didn't want to DO THIS RACE!

My shoes feel like bricks, like snow shoes, why did I wear these shoes? And despite the powder they are squeaking like crazy! ugh, why did I come, I don't want to do this race. I'm wishing I would have just found Carolyn's parents and walked with them. Shoes are bricks.....

At about 1.75 miles I think of this quote that Julie P. sent in the email once.

"Ability determines what you're capable of doing.
Motivation determines what you do.
Attitude determines how well you do it." (Lou Holtz)

I need an attitude adjustment.

I struggled with my attitude for the next 2 miles.

Finally by mile 3.5ish I am getting "In the Zone",

Ok, by about mile 3 it's kinda all downhill anyway......and I finally got to my "Slim Shady" on my ipod....a little anger and attitude never hurt anyone (thank-you Anthony).

There is Julie H., Alicia, and John S. cheering me in to finish, thank you guys, I seriously needed that.

Race done, no time for "Fantastic Post Race Food Court", I've got a funeral to attend.

4.96 miles done in 1 hour 4 minutes and 43 seconds, gads, worst time yet (fix that attitude Cindy!).

And here's the dilemma.....

Can I count one of these race miles as my "mile for the day'?

Lorrie and Tom say yes I can.

I know John S. would say "ABSOLUTELY NOT".

In my heart I feel like it's "double dipping"

After Andy's funeral I go home and discuss with Denny. He also feels like it would be double dipping. That's all I need.

So I change clothes, put on my running shoes, and run my mile. Mile #14 for you Andy Cannon, A Gentle, Kind, Quite, and Loving Soul.

14 miles down 36 to go, as for race miles 18.06 down, 31.94 to go.