Homework Hell...Marathon Swells...Ugh Too Damn Old.

So I am back in college.  Yes, in college where professors are younger than me and I feel like I stand out like a sore thumb....although some lovely, sweet young girls in a few of my classes make a point to say...."you're how old?!  Well, you look like, totally awesome.....for your age!" *Smack*  (Cue in Price is Right when you overbid: Womp, womp, womp)  Oookie Dokie! I know it is supposed to be a compliment (*totally*), but it is a reminder that the sand in the hourglass has trickled to a veeeerrrrry high peak.  Decided to take three classes which are all work, work, work, read, read, read, write, write, write. Oh. Em. Gee.  There is no backing down.  I mean, hay dios mio! I am falling behind in the best way I can and I have decided that sleep is for sissies.  Because this (3 a.m.) is THE ONLY time I can do any of this.  At least I look "good" for my "age"....have THAT going for me.

What the hell am I doing here?

Oh yeah, the bucket list.  Dang it.  At this rate, kicking the bucket might come sooner.  My stress level is in an ultra high level now and my poor kids only see the back of my head while I type, type, type away on the computer.  Hope they recognize me after this semester.

So what's a girl who is searching for her true self going to do?

Well, unfortunately THAT girl signed up for yet another 1/2 marathon before her first full marathon (Chicago in October) training begins in May.  My last half will be the Iron Girl Half Marathon! Wha? Wha?
(No seriously, grrrr, I feel like a bad-ass when I say: Iron Girl!).

Yes, I say unfortunately because I did not prepare for the second one as well as I have prepared for the first one and I feel as if I have been hit by a Mack truck.  Fortunately, Iron Girl (*grrrr*) is in April!

Courtesy of Q105

Although my first ever half was only 3 & 1/2 weeks ago, my second was just this past Sunday, the Publix 2012 Gasparilla Half Marathon.  Arrrrrgh, pirates in New Balance and Nikes were everywhere speaking pirate-speak and it was only a matter of seconds before you started to speak pirate-ese, too. I only, P-Arrrgh'ed by 41 seconds, my knee once again felt as if someone jabbed it with an icepick at Mile 7, and my bowels decided to do a cross between the Irish Jig and a retro-1980's Breakdance -Electric Boogaloo.  Back to physical therapy I go.  But it was fun dressed in a 3 ply lawn bag while awaiting for the storm to finish pummeling me at quarter to 5 in the morning as we are lining up to begin our 6 a.m. gun start.  Yes, waaay better than coffee for a wake up call...Oh I was awake....WIDE "deer caught in headlights" AWAKE, between the 55 mph winds and coooold rain, Oh dear God, please stop torturing me, puhleeese!?

Courtesy of www.tampabayrun.com

After finishing 13.1 grueling, cold, wet, blistering miles and getting my pretty sweet medal, I ate my stack of celebratory pancakes then got home to see pieces of my tile roof in the pool and on my dock. I looked down and saw that nice skull and cross bone finishers' medal hanging around my neck and said..."yeeeeaaaaahhhaaa it was so worth it!"

Courtesy of the http://mealsandmiles.com/2012/03/04/gasparilla-half-marathon-2012/

I hobbled back in the house, popped an Aleve and laid down on the couch. Eh, I will call the roofer mañana.

SO WHAT NOW?

Tomorrow I NEED to run, but can't.  Oh yeah LIFE is putting my training to a screeching halt.  Let's hope maybe it is a good thing....maybe with this much rest I might get my time: 2:05 if not better, for my next half marathon, in April...no wait...I want to sub-2 hours at my next, that should be enough time to regain my mojo.

I will be running a po-dunk race in Oldsmar called The Armadillo 5k on Saturday and I have been trying to go a sub-30 minute 5k, so I will try my hardest.....it has been alluding me by 10 itty, bitty seconds!  So now I am shorting this blog because I just cannot type one more word, this is my last homework....and apparently I cannot run one more mile either....ugh. Stinks being old....where is my Aleve?