Hot dog!!

Alright, alright, alright. I've got marathon numero dos under my belt - mmm! how about that?! Oh yeah! I was overzealous in wanting to get under 4 hours. Let's see. I started out, 6:56am, jogging in place in the middle of the large crowd, behind the 9:10 pacing group. A woman behind me was talking about how she needed to retie her shoes so she wouldn't have to stop once she started running. Oh! Good idea. So, I bend down, 6:57, unlace the strings on my left shoe - one in each hand - and the crowd starts moving. My heart starts racing, and I'm moving 20 paces on my knees, in the middle of 1,000s of people, fearing that I'm going to be trampled!! Run a pace, try to tie, run, try to stand, can't let go of the strings or I'm going to trip. Wow. It was scary. Then, it just stopped - like magic. Magic! I tied my shoe. Popped up, and some jackass behind me said, "Ha ha ha! I thought you were going to have to run the whole race on your knees." Yeah, you're real funny sir. No.

Oh, it was a beautiful morning - couldn't have asked for better weather. The race started down market street, under this giant American flag billowing in the wind, towards the Arch. What a sight, and a mass of moving people. The first 10 were amazing, running with the pacing group, we did anywhere from 8:30 to 9:20 minute miles, then the half marathoners turned around and the badasses remained. There was this new sense of camaraderie in the air, runners cheering/motivating each other. People telling their running stories. I have to admit, I didn't feel as into it as last year, something seemed missing. I kept up with 'em until after 13, then I fell behind a little bit, then a little more. I only allowed myself to walk through the water stations, and after mile 20 at the mile markers. My knees started getting sore, then my hips. No bueno. I think I started too fast. When I run long distances I tend to go slower - I expended too much, too soon. So, I was a little disappointed in myself, just because I was really hoping for that sub-4. It was hard to get past that, especially when the 4:10 group passed me. Bummer man, missing my last year's time. But, I have to remind myself that I ran a marathon, some people can't do that. Also, I trained longer than last year, did an 18 the Sunday before the race, which could've had some affect on my performance. Some crazy lady I ran with for a bit was talking about how she ran a marathon the Sunday before - that's pure insanity. Why? What would ever possess you? Then, when we were talking about that, some lady fell. Straight up fell, hands/knees scraped, but she got right back up, kept moving - hardcore. Wow. I totally sprinted like a mad woman at the end, just wanted to be done. Today I was reading my Runner's World and it said something about that, and how I didn't push myself hard enough during the race if I was able to step it up so much. I shouldn't beat myself up about all this stuff, but rather learn from it for the next race. Chicago Marathon, October '08!! I'm stoked. Flat land, thank goodness! So, serious training for that will begin at the end of May. Yes! I can't wait for summer in the city! Cool cat looking for a kitty. Meow!

Exciting news! I chopped my hair off today - I really did it!! 12 inches, adios, farewell, they're gone and in a bag in my purse. I mail it off to Locks of Love, tomorrow. So, I need to stop writing and start preparing all the shit I need to get done before I go into work. And, this is a bummer, I feel something ichy in my throat. No! I will not get sick! Damnit!! I took some Airbourne, and I like E-mer-genC way better. What else. Oh, my friend Erin and I went to Neo-Futurists tonight, and we saw this show "Unitards" (about HS retards wanting to wrestle) and it was hilarious, reminded me of "Strangers with Candy" in the sense of being an after school special, it was raunchy and wrong on so many levels, so duh! I loved it. Okay, seriously. Later, gator. Peace, love and sexual healing.

Speaking of, I'm - wow, I can't even believe I did it... I signed up and made a profile on match.com. Yeah, I know. I don't know, I'm going to give it a try. I'm lonely, and maybe I'll find someone... it could be fun. I was just playing around with it at first, and then I came home last night, slightly intoxicated and feeling sad, so I wrote a belligerent biography and put up some silly photos. So far, I've had some serial-killerish/lame ass guys message me, but there are some attractive ones... I don't know how to go about introducing myself to delicious men, and then if I ever would, they're either married, dating or gay... maybe even not interested, but what? Why? I'm pretty fucking phenomenal, I think. I hope. I'm witty and clever, and I have impeccable tastes. Tell your single sexy man friends living in the Chicagoland area.