we celebrated by getting up at 05:15 to meet up with our group for a 06:00 bridge run.  seventeen of us dragged our crazy butts out of bed to do that early run.  although, i think i’m the only one who’s not a morning person to begin with. 

i purposely tried to keep a very slow pace as i’m still nursing my legs from last thursday’s run.  since it was just going to be a once over for everyone, i considered cutting mine in half too by turning around when i got to the top of the bridge.  for some reason, i got to the top and kept going.  about halfway down the backside, tat was waiting with her camera to take a pic of me running. 

like the wind!

i joked with her about being the paparazzi and expected her to go along her way back to the parking lot.  instead, she turned and trotted along with me.  i told her she didn’t have to but i was really quite happy to have the company.  after we had turned around and started climbing the bridge again, she started giving me some pointers about my swing, strike, and breathing.  she also kept updating me on my pace, which i greatly appreciated and found encouraging.  about a hundred yards from the top, she made me sprint.  sadistic witch!!!  i didn’t think i had any more in me but she managed to drag it out.  at the top, we went back to a slow and steady pace and pretty much kept it up all the way back to the parking lot… which we reached in 37:58!  that is under a twelve minute pace, overall!!!!!  and i was seriously trying to go slow this morning. 

we got back in time to see mello getting interviewed by the local news and then i headed to the car to get my water and eye the donuts that were waiting for us.  i walked around a bit and talked with folks until i was cooled back down, at which point we were asked to go over and stand behind mello while he was being interviewed.  so those of us who were still there clumped up behind mello talking amongst ourselves and “acting natural” while he taped another interview for the noon news (which i watched and clapped at myself for being such a tv star!).  i broke down and grabbed a donut, thereby ruining any caloric benefit from the run, before hopping in the car to get home and start the work day. 

how did you celebrate national running day?