Running a distance greater than four miles without anyone else around really sucks.  It is lonely and boring!  If you don’t have music it can be even more boring!  If you don’t have good scenery to enjoy along your running route, then you might as well just forget it!  During past half marathon trainings I had an awesome running buddy and we would endure those 10-mile runs together.  It was fun even if we didn’t talk to each other (yes, Bridget, I miss you!).  We also had the race to look forward to together.  The Napa to Sonoma half marathon was a blast because we got to hang out, drink wine and enjoy a fabulous pasta dish pre-race and then scarf down Mexican food post-race.

To put it simply, it is hard to train for a long race (like one that extends out a full 26.2 miles) without a support system to urge you along.  That is another reason why Team in Training is so awesome (the first reason being that the team raises money to help cancer patients).  I could run while talking to a new friend and not even realize I had just run 7 miles!  That is why I try to make it to every team run regardless of how far I have to drive.  Unfortunately, I was not so lucky this weekend 😦  My husband (he tries, but sometimes he just can’t help his poor memory) had to work on Saturday morning.  Therefore, I was left to run my miles on my own.  And it just so happened that my new running buddy tore her ACL… eeeeek!  (Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers).  So, obviously, she was not an option and it looks like she may have to stay on the sidelines for awhile… poor thing.  Yep, so there I was this morning, running around my neighborhood ALONE.  And let me tell you, those 7 miles seemed to drag on and on and on.  I felt like I was moving in slow motion (and according to my Nike+ I was, indeed, moving very slowly).  All I could think about was calling my dad to tell him happy birthday.  We are fortunate that he is still around to celebrate his birthday and the many more to come.  🙂