I *pant* rock! *gasp*

It was a hell of a weekend. My modest 1-bedroom became home to four 20-somethings, two of whom were good friends who hadn't seen each other in waaaay too long. Lisa and I have been in different places for quite a while now (West Coast and Western Europe--not so conducive to visiting), but we have somehow traveled in similar directions and we manage to still be almost as much alike as we were back in college, when people used to confuse us (for each other, not in general). She is one of my friends with whom that indefinable connection will always be there, even if we go years without seeing each other.

The four of us had a weekend full of great conversation, punctuated almost peripherally by the Reformation highlights of this esteemed locale. Elizabeth pointed out later that "you and Lisa pretty much never stopped talking." Well, we had a few years to catch up on, and she had spent the last few weeks hanging out with only boys, so a bit of girl talk was in order. It was interesting to see the proportions of regression to our old college friendship (mannerisms, even conversation topics) and the forays into re-meeting each other as we are now. I can't get over how similarly we still think, the ways our thoughts trace the same paths. We have even had many similar experiences.

Except for those five marathons she's run... which is the not-so-graceful segue into the title for today's installment of Let's Talk About Me For A While. I told her I have been toying with the idea more and more seriously myself, and she totally encouraged me. We even went on a test run to see if I was up to par to begin training. I passed. :-) Somehow, getting actual real live encouragement from a flesh-and-blood marathon runner tore through whatever mental barriers I had, and I decided I am going to do this! I don't have a timeframe yet, because I kind of want to run a marathon in the US rather than here, which severely limits my choices. It'll have to be December or next summer, since this July is clearly out of the question. But that's fine; I don't think I am necessarily in a hurry. I am, however, signing up for this half marathon on September 4th. Well, not exactly a half-marathon-- that would be 21-ish kilometers, this race is 25. But I think I should be able to handle it. After all, I rock!

And speaking of me rocking (another remarkable segue by yours truly)... guess what I just did?!?!?!?! OK, I'll tell you: I just ran for 101 minutes! My personal longest time ever. The one and only race I have run before was a 10-miler and I finished in 98-something (I am really not so speedy, but I can go far!) and haven't attempted that much before or since. Until tonight. I fully realize that my measly little ten miles pale in comparison to the 26.2 that Noames and countless others have just completed, but for me it's a milestone and what's more, I did it alone. Me of the external motivation. Me of the "but I need a running buddy" whiny voice. I ran ten miles! Alone! And it didn't even hurt. Blister control just turned up four, only one of which I can rightfully label a doozy, and there was a bit of sports-bra-induced chafing that is best left to the imagination, but on the flip side, the bum ankle didn't even twinge. And I'm feeling great.

Woo-hoo! I can do this! I am accepting all encouragement below. However, if you feel you have a limited amount to give, you should save it and parcel it out when I am not feeling so high and mighty. I'll let you know. Thanks. :-) I don't want to push my luck, so I am taking tomorrow off... and buying an iPod!