Last night I did what you are supposed to do before a long run:  eat lots of pasta!  Even better, whole wheat pasta!  Yes, great idea Heidi!  That part is fine.   However, a problem arises when you add crushed red pepper to your pasta.  Maybe you love your food a little spicy and you ate spicy food almost every day BEFORE you were pregnant.  Then, all of a sudden you want to go back to your comfort food the day before a 7-mile run!  Yes, bad idea Heidi.

Lets just say that it was a FUN run (note the hint of sarcasm).  It was so much FUN when it felt like a knife was inside my stomach at around mile 5.  People say it is okay to let loose your inhibitions when you are running (you know what I am talking about 🙂 but I could only WISH I was able to do that in order to feel some kind of relief.  My stomach is still churning as I sit here writing this.  Awesome.

Really, what am I complaining about?  Dusty is a new mom who was just recently released from the hospital after being diagnosed with Leukemia.  That is not the kicker, though.  She was originally in the hospital because she gave birth to a brand new baby girl.  Now, I have some experience giving birth (yes, I guess I do since I somehow managed to spit out 3), but I have no experience giving birth to a baby girl who I can’t hold.  Dusty hasn’t been able to spend much time with her new baby because those cancer treatments aren’t very people friendly.  I am lucky to be able to sit here and write this at the same time I am tickling my baby girl’s toes.  What’s a sharp stab to the stomach every now and then?

Oh, did I forget to mention Lesson #1 in my previous posts?  It was the first lesson I learned this season.  Don’t do 100 squats (with weights no less) 2 days before a long run, especially if you haven’t done any squats in over a year…