Bridal shower weekend. Oh, and a couple runs too.

What a weekend! It started off with a 6.25 mile run on the Wabash-Cannonball Trail early Saturday morning. I felt pretty strong through the whole run and I was entertained almost the whole time by my surroundings and the patches of fog. The 57* temperature was pretty nice, too. My friend was outside with his daughter as I ran by his house (their yard backs up to the paved trail that runs through the area. Lil One shrieked when she saw me and demanded her dad go get his bike so they could catch up to me on the bike trail. I slowed down my pace a bit so they COULD catch up (not too hard when I was running and they were on bikes, but oh well). I got to hear all about her first couple days at the elementary school her dad and I went to, which was pretty great.

Annie & Daniel during #2

As soon as I got back to the house and got a shower, mom and I were in the kitchen finishing up the corn and deviled eggs for my friends, Annie and Dan's bridal shower that afternoon. This was shower #2 for her and her fiancee, but the first time we could have all us bridesmaids together in one place. It was a LOT of fun. My parents even had a good time talking to the groom's parents. Dan's dad and my dad have a LOT in common and I knew they would hit it off if they just got to talk to each other. Dan's mom LOVES me and the other bridesmaid she hadn't already met. By the end of the day, we were all exhausted and just a bit sore from standing on concrete all day (and apparently not stretching well enough after my run earlier). I had wanted to hit up the German American Festival later that night, but it just didn't happen. I passed out SO much earlier than is normal. 

Annie and I after #3

I was able to sleep in until 9:30ish on Sunday, but still felt like a truck hit me when I woke up. I somehow got "Ain't no rest for the wicked" stuck in my head as I showered and got ready for bridal shower #3. Yep, another one. Same girl. Saturday was mainly for the friends and extended family, but Sunday was a more proper and lady-like shower for the aunts and cousins. Another fun one, but not as random and goofy as Saturday's. When mom and I got home, I crashed. I crawled in bed and zoned out for the rest of the night. I went back downstairs to visit and grab food when mom's cousin stopped by, but other than that, I was a zombie. 

I'm not sure if I was SO wiped because of the 6+ mile run, the stress of the 2 showers, or a combination of the 2, but whatever it was got me good. Thank god I'm not the one planning a wedding. Sorry, Annie. lol.

Never made it into campus this morning. I had my alarm set for early enough, but I was still exhausted from this weekend and decided I should get another couple hours of sleep. My legs felt better when I finally got up, minus when I made the mistake of kneeling down on that left knee and I just about fell over crying ... again. At least the bruises on my right knee are fading. Nothing feels BROKEN on my left knee, and it doesn't hurt when I walk or run on it, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Anyway, I got a couple hours of work on my paper down then I decided I needed to get my "easy" run in for the day. Treadmill and I renewed our friendship for a 2-mile run. It wasn't bad, though I was bored about 2 minutes into it. When on the treadmill, I almost always run at 4.3mph, but I decided I needed to run closer to my regular pace so I kept it at a 4.5mph the whole time. Maybe my slower speed is the reason I can only do 30+ minutes of continuous running on the treadmill right now? Hmm, deep thoughts. *Ouch* ;)

SEE?!

I'm not crazy! Caterpillars are attacking! lol. Ok, maybe that's a BIT over-dramatized ... but there ARE a ton of them this year and I'm not the only person noticing!

13ABC - Caterpillars Invade Toledo Metroparks

Dodge the caterpillars and acorns!

I'll get to today's run and the explanation of this entry's title in a minute, but I need to set the (mental) scene. I talked about my *spectacular* fall leaving the wedding reception in my last post, but what I never really touched on was HOW sore my knees, right ankle, and wrist are. I spent yesterday hopping around the house with my ankle brace on, but couldn't put my knee brace on because of where the bruise was. Think about where your knee touches the ground and takes your weight when you kneel down. Yea, RIGHT THERE. It's a little more colorful today than it was yesterday, too, but that could have been from the multiple times I kneeled down yesterday without thinking and instantly fell over sideways cursing and almost crying it hurt so bad.

So, needless to say, I didn't get a workout in yesterday like I had wanted, especially on pavement. I just didn't want to take the chance with my knees and ankle feeling the way they are.

And then there was last night. I was so jazzed about the incoming thunderstorm that I was having problems falling asleep. I finally dozed off a little before 3, right around the time the rain was starting. 3:15 on the dot, I hear my bedroom doorknob (it's kinda loud because it catches during the warm, humid months when the door swells). I figured mom or dad had been woken up by the storm and were just checking windows. That would have made SENSE. Well, it WAS mom, and instead of just LOOKING the extra 3 feet to see that my window was already closed enough that rain wasn't going to come in, she stands in my doorway and WAKES ME UP to ask if my window is closed. *headdesk* I ended up laying there watching the storm another 30+ minutes before I could fall back asleep which, of course, meant I slept in this morning and never made it to campus.

So, with not running in a couple days and (I guess) resentment towards my mother and my paper, I was desperate for some physical activity today. My knees felt a little bit better but I was still cautious of pavement or the treadmill. Thank goodness we have an amazing Metroparks system in this area with plenty of great trails. This being the middle of the week and the middle of the day, the dune trail was DESERTED. Well, deserted except for about a billion caterpillars ... and the acorns and mops of wet leaves falling out of the trees. I kind of felt like I was on one of those wacky game shows where you have to dodge things thrown at you: "Don't look up or you'll step on a caterpillar. Don't loop down or you'll get hit by something falling out of a tree." It was entertaining ... and the spongy ground felt good on my legs. I had to walk more than I would have liked, but I got out there and did it. Maybe now I can start getting back to my regular workout schedule.

Oh, and the best part of that run? Coming home and jumping in the pool (sweaty sports bra and undies, oh yea). The thermometer SAID 80*, but that was the coldest 80* I've ever felt. Of course, today was the first day back for the local K-12 and the afternoon bus with the younger kids was coming through the neighborhood just as I jumped in the pool and popped back up, cursing and spazzing over the temperature of the water. Oops. lol

And now ... the countdown is on to tonight's episode of "Ghost Hunters". I'm giddy like a little kid. Seriously, it's an addiction. Anyone else with me? :D