Beware...

We saw this gem of a sign on our way home from my mother-in-law's 80th birthday party in Commerce City, at my sister-in-law's house, last night. I really need to get one for my own front door, but mine would say, "Beware of Dogs and Bitch".

The fam-in-law gathering was really not too bad as far as family gatherings go, I am lucky to have a very easy set of in-laws. I'd been dreading it because of the current political season, but no one mentioned a word political. I believe it was also due to the fact that the one instigator of such things was not present. So I didn't have to hurt anyone.

I woke up early this morning and needed to get after it, the plan was 36 miles at slower than 12 hour race pace. Which is what happened, easily. I did it in under 6 1/2 hours with minimal walk breaks. I felt good throughout the day and made it an easy, just miles and time on the feet run. It's been so long since I've done a run like that! I've been doing more 5Ks than long runs.

I decided to go to the lakes for the easy aid station access at the car. I got started a little after 7, my first loop took forever because I was taking so many pictures. The moonset was impressive over the snow on the Mummy Range. Longs Peak had some snow, as did the Indian Peaks. The leaves and grasses are changing colors down here.

I usually avoid the lakes until the weather cools down in the fall because it tends to be buggy. With the rain we had this past week, it was wet and muddy in a few spots but nothing that stuck to my shoes, and by mid-morning things were drying up. There were some bugs early in the run, but by 10 am the wind picked up and was blowing hard from the north, bugs-B-GON.

Around my 7th lap I realized all the grease I'd used to avoid chafing was wearing off. Under my bra and across my lower back where my pack rubs against my shorts waistband are my worst places for chafing. But I had another problem.

I was wearing my favorite old running shorts, and they are to the point of decomposition. The liner is full of holes and rolls up on the edges. Today it was humid and warm, and the shorts liner rolled itself up into a two-way thong, and was chafing me in some VERY uncomfortable places. I squeezed a big blob of aquaphor and applied it to said places, and yes, I do use hand sanitizer AND alcohol wipes afterward!

I always bring a complete change of clothes during the winter months and I must have had my thinking cap on this morning because I did bring an extra pair of running shorts. On the next lap I changed into them, because the chafing problem wasn't going away.

Problem solved! Until shower time, of course...

It was a warm afternoon but the breeze kept up, so it never felt too hot. I carried a bottle and drank it on each lap, and that was enough.

Around 30 miles I felt so good I thought about extending my run to 40 miles, but the next lap cured me of that. I was happy with 36 miles, feeling good, and not wiping myself out.

It's been a long week, and my running schedule got sort of screwed up, but I managed to get 70 miles in, with one speed session and one long run, so I guess that's not so bad.

So now I go back to work for the next few days, and just need to make it through one more long run before OKC. Not sure where, when, or what that will be, but it will happen soon. I don't want to run that race on tired legs.

When I got home Dennis laughed at me, my face was totally crusted over with salt and sunscreen. I screamed in the shower, chafed like a M@#$%* F*&%$#! But I survived.

And now I'm going to eat. And eat again. And then eat more.