I swear the last time I checked...

.... I was just about a week shy of 27, and not the image of old age this woman reflects. But Saturday, I felt this lady for all 16 miles. Everything hurt.... my legs, feet, ankles, joints, bones, skin, you name it. It all felt like I added a year with every mile... make that 20 years with every mile. I don't know where it came from, either! Last week, I was on fire with our 15 miler, and this week, it's as if I was a completely different runner!

We met at the trax station on 90th. Tara and Melissa missed this week because of injuries and kiddies-- we missed you guys! My sweet friend from work, Jared, decided he wanted to run with us. And, you know my amazing super-runner-high-school-friend, Amy, I spoke about in previous posts who just completed her first ultra-marathon? Well, turns out she's Kimmie's amazing friend too-- we had no idea! Small world! She said she wanted to run with us this week and take it easy because she's nursing an injury. But once we started, we realized an ultra-marathoner's definition of easy, and ours, come from two very different versions of Webster's.

We started on the path, and I just kept telling myself that the first few miles are always the hardest for me. It takes me a bit to get into the groove, but with every mile, the groove just wasn't coming! Part of the problem was that I usually run with Kristi at my side, and this week, I tried to keep up with Amy, and Kristi stayed behind with Kera and Kimmie. I couldn't stay with "muscle-butt" for long, and soon, I was all by my lonesome-- inbetween Amy and Jared in the lead, and the rest of the girls behind me. It was like this the majority of the run.

I had to watch, as Kera called it, the "butt that rap artists sing about" bouncing ahead of me for 16 freaking miles, knowing Amy wasn't even winded, and I would likely never catch her. And, cute, sweet, skinny Jared was jogging at her side. Again, this is why I hate boys. Kristi and I have decided we are going to seek out gym rejects and invite them to run with us to make us feel better about ourselves, no more of this super-human-runner thing. It just hurts our pride too much. Seriously, we loved having you two. I'll just close my eyes while I run next time so I don't see my failure running ahead of me, looking better in running clothes than I ever hope to.

On about mile 9, I had to make a pottie break, and fell behind. I caught back up to Kera, then passed her, and then got to the point where I could see Kristi and Kimmie in the distance, but the old lady just wouldn't move any faster!

It was rough, but I made it, and I hope it is not like this next week, even though I'll be one day shy of 27 for our next group run! Is this what getting older does to you? Another reason for me to continue my love affair with Edward Cullen and stay forever young as a vampire. (Kristi, that was for you:)