Mud.

Funds collected to date: $944.40 (36%)
Amount needed to reach pledge: $1,675.60
Miles Ran This Week: 18 (longest single run = 6.5 miles)
Weeks to Go: 19

On Wednesday night I met up with my running group for a timed run. This basically consists of running at a solid pace for a certain distance (in this case it was 3.44 miles even though they said it was 3.2 but who's counting...?), recording that time, and seeing if you beat it next month and the month after that, etc.

In the distance, thunder rumbled, but I figured that a little rain never hurt anyone. Except the Wicked Witch of the West, I suppose.

Ready, set, go, and we were off. It turns out in my running group I'm an "Intermediate." This means basically I've run before regularly so I'm not just starting to run AND doing a marathon (and yes, there are people doing this!) but it also means I'm not fast like the so-called "Experts" (jerks). Generally there's a few girls at my pace, but not on this evening. So despite starting out with a few dozen others, I found myself somehow running on my own sans iPod.

"Oh, well," I thought to myself as I ran along the dirt path of one of Central Park's bridal paths. "This will be a lovely time for relaxation and personal reflection. I will try to be one with nature and push out negative thoughts and be zen.

But then. The skies opened up and it started raining.

Actually, let me rephrase. It started downpouring. In a big way.

"Ok, Meredith, you are soaking wet. But...actually it feels kind of nice to be wet from nature rather than from your own nastiness, actually. Let's carry on."

(The above photograph is not actually me. It is a representation of what I believe my spirit to have looked like at the time the rain began.)


As you may remember, the path we were running on was dirt. DIRT. After about a mile of running in the deluge the Artist Formerly Known As Dirt because a flooded mud-bath. At this point, things got dicey, but as I had to get back to the beginning anyways (where my bag was being guarded under a bridge by the local trolls), I had no choice but to carry on.

And carry on I did.





At the end this is an almost exact replication of what I looked like:

Now, despite this little snafu in my quest to achieve inner peace through running, I actually feel very good about completing that timed run. Since I was wading through the Nile for half my run I am BOUND to beat myself next month. As I've mentioned before, I like to win very much so I am looking forward to my victory. Also, I truly have come to realize that the miserable running days do make the lovely ones just that much better. I know, my optimism is grossing me out as well.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the other runners,coaches and staff that were there for the run that day now think that I am totally baller. Please do not correct them.