Much better.

I had all kinds of intentions to run all kinds of miles this weekend. And then I didn't. I decided to do things instead, like sleep in. Sometime between May and yesterday I decided to stop being a runner. Apparently. I set my alarm for 8 a.m., all hopped up and ready to hammer out 13 miles before work. Annnnnd then I woke up, and was all, "Hell no." Went back to sleep for another two-and-a-half hours.

Whoops.

However (yes, there is always a however, for I must redeem myself), I forced myself to go after work this evening. "Forced" is not used lightly. At all. I kind of kicked and screamed all day, until the second I literally took my first step of 13 miles.

"You guuuuys, I don't wannnnnt to."

Etc., etc., etc.

But the run was FANTASTIC. Look, guys - capital letters, even. All kinds of positivity and shit! Apparently I have some personality flaws - I'm too negative. Oh, and have bad hair. But this is neither here nor there. So, back to the run...

I ran through an area nature conservancy that I've heard lovely things about. It was awesome, loved every minute. Crushed gravel, green grass and trees and hills and blue sky.

Le sigh.

I opted for a new nutrition plan, and downed an energy gel every 20 minutes. (With the intention of consuming about 300 calories every hour for workouts over an hour-and-a-half). (Which averages out to about 12 energy gels over the course of a marathon, where I was previously only taking four). (Huuuuge difference). (Excited to try it out). (Sorry for all the bullshit running jargon). (The nutrition plan worked today, FYI). (OK, enough with the parenthesis).

I brought my BlackBerry along in case I died or ended up lost in Tennessee, but turns out I only needed it to tweet halfway through the run. YES I TWEETED during a run. What? You'd do it, too, if you were absolutely crazy addicted to a damn piece of technology.

Turns out is also came in handy when my sister called during an energy gel stop and needed me to Google the lyrics to a song for her.

"Why, yes, turns out I DO have my BlackBerry AND access to the Internet and Google and all things absolutely necessary during a 13-mile run through a nature conservancy, DONT YOU WORRY."

So, there's that.

I also made friends with a middle-aged, Spanish-speaking man whom I passed about four times as I looped through the conservancy. I'm not sure what we actually talked about, seeing as though the only Spanish I can speak is, "May I please go to the bathroom?" but we were fast friends. Maybe he proposed marriage, I'm not sure. He certainly didn't know where to find a bathroom.

So, the day was a success. My run felt great, my legs still feel great, and so I absolutely win. I think I'll be a runner again. We'll see.