I Didn't Even Get to Shave my Legs

Well, I did it.

It may not have been pretty.....

but I crossed the finish line at mile marker 13-point-one.

I didn't run the whole way. I ran with my friend Heather, she's ran in two previous minis, and together we set a goal of running eight consecutive miles.

We saw the eight-mile-marker as we were running on the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I believe Heather's exact words were,

"OH Thank God...."

(The picture from above is about mile 7.5.)

We took a walk break from mile 8 to mile 10, then ran another mile, took another walk break, and then ran in for the finish. All told I ran ten of the thirteen miles, and I didn't completely humiliate myself.

Goal One: Not get picked up the emergency medic vehicle.

Result: Success.

Goal Two: Finish.

Result: Success.

Goal Three: Run eight consecutive miles.

Result: Success.

Goal Four: Run ten total miles.

Result: Success.

Goal Five: Crabwalk across the finish line.

Result: Fail.

You can't win them all.

The funny thing is, during my training I was so worried about having the stamina to run for that long. As it turns out, that wasn't an issue and I totally felt like I could have run more than I did -- cardiovascular-wise, that is.

The problem was my hip.

This isn't a surprise to me, as my hip acted up often during my training, when I would run longer runs. I could do five miles okay, but much more than that and my left hip would flare up in pain.

I did some stretches, but I'm just not a dedicated enough runner to really focus on that kind of thing, or know what to do about it.

So I kind of hoped for the best, and it was that that ended up being my downfall.

Maybe next time.

Speaking of next time, several people have asked me if I would do it again. I'm thinking yes, but give me a few months to recover first.

After the race, Heather got me a guest pass to her gym so we could go relax in the hot tub.

In the hot tub area, there were three posted rules.

1. Everyone must shower before entering the spa. (Rule one: broken. We did NOT shower before getting in. We climbed into the hut tub in all our sweaty, mini-marathon-finishing glory.)

2. Bathing suits are required. (Rule two: I'm happy to report we followed this one.)

3. No shaving in the spa area.

Um....what?

I'm a little curious as to what prompted this particular hygienic activity to be banned; as opposed to say, plucking eyebrows or clipping fingernails.

Nope. Just shaving is off-limits.

Lucky for LA Fitness, Heather and I had NOT come equipped with our shaving gel and razors.

So we relaxed in the hot tub, then after getting back to Heather's and packing up my stuff, I made the two-and-a-half hour drive up to the in-laws' place in Angola.

The drive wasn't bad, but my hip was stiff as a board by the time I got up there.

Spent Mother's Day with Ben's family, drove home this evening, and our whirlwind weekend is now coming to a close. I feel like it barely started.