101 days

     Over the past couple of "rest" days I have been able to recruit a couple of my friends to join the excruciating fun. My local running/cycling enthusiast Carol has plans to run the half marathon and my best friend, Chelsea, from Maine may be flying down to join too. Chelsea and I have been running buddies since middle school. Actually, we did more walking than any sort of physical running - but there was still a bond formed over the idea of running. So i'm banking on these two ladies going through this with me. We seem to be all at the stage of "oh shit, now I actually have to run".
     My second day of running was not pleasant. Charlie and I had to take our fat cat to the vet before work - so I woke up early to get the 2 mile run over with. I was hoping that it would be fairly cool outside since it was 7 in the morning but I was extremely disapointed. It felt like an fat man's armpit outside. About 5 minutes into the run I wanted to die. I was so sweaty and hot I became the grumpiest runner on Bayshore. This lasted for a bit until a soldier from Macdill airforce base passed me in his full military garb. My mood went from grumpy to an extreme state of selfloathing. He was haulin ass down bayshore with everything on including his little helmet and backpack filled with rocks or whatever.
     The main point that I'm trying to make is that I am out of shape. I'm not too badly out of shape - I can still manage to shuffle down the street and make it back to my apartment without collapsing - but I'm not at that stage of fitness to be skippin next to my comrade on our next morning run.

     ***For those who were distracted by my earlier mention of us bringing our cat (Manchego) to the vet - he's been cured. He's still extremely fat, stupid, and lazy - but he no longer suffers from an ear infection, ear mites, round worm, or tape worm. Manchego is now at the level of well being that I strive to be at by the end of all this***