Living The Tri Life!: Running to Mardi Gras

Sunday I did my last long run before the New Orleans Rock n' Roll Marathon. (I'm only doing the Half). I had a 12 miler on the schedule. Saturday it POURED all day long so I didn't train at all. Figured I would have nice fresh legs for the 12 the next day.

Saturday - yikes!

I was planning on driving over to the Trace (the Longleaf Trace), like I have all of my other long runs because it's flat and pretty with no cars to worry about. Out 6 back 6 -done. I needed to be running at 7am because.... Bill and I were driving down to New Orleans for some Mardi Gras festivities! Well... long story short - I didn't get out of the house in time so I ended up running from the house. That saved me about 30-40 minutes of drive time. The problem was that running from my house meant I had to run all the little hills in Canebrake where we live. Now for most of you I'm sure what I just described as little hills would be nothing, but for my bad knees it meant the anticipation of some pain. I wasn't disappointed.

It's a half a mile from my house to the big loop around Canebrake. If I run the loop counter clockwise it gets me 5.5 miles - clockwise adds another quarter mile. I figured that the spillway at the south end of the loop would be closed because of all the rain the day before (and I was right) so I ran up onto Hwy 98 and across to the other entrance for the subdivision thinking it would add a little more mileage. I didn't want to run the little dog leg back to the house so I had to figure that into my plan. By the time I got around the loop once I looked at the Garmin - 5.42 miles - no!!!! I was thinking that maybe I would reverse the second loop but then it would be even shorter.

So here goes my brain computing like crazy as I run by the turn which would take me home. Ok... I could run another loop and that would get me anther 5.42 minus the .5 back to the house, then I'd be at 10.34. OR... I could run a little ways around the loop and turn around and run the other direction (for a change of scenery). If I ran to 6 miles on the Garmin and then turned around and made the loop plus the .5 mile back to the house.... hmmmmm. Oh this is getting too complicated for my electrolyte deprived brain. Okay... so just run another loop but run the one tiny longer section when you come back into the subdivision and then see where you are when you get back to the top.

Any of you ever have these little ramblings in your head when you're running??? "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!!!" (any Brady Bunch fans reading this?)

So I get to the top of the loop and still need to add more mileage to get my 12 - and yes the Type A part of my personality will not be satisfied with 11.3 miles. So I pass the house and do a little out and back and FINALLY hear the buzz of the 12 mile mark. Whew -done.

Did I mention that I didn't wear enough and I was freezing for the second loop? Note to self - on a longer run when it's overcast, cool and windy by the time I hit 7 miles I begin to cool off. Plus the temperature dropped a little. I had on shorts, a short sleeved top, a running vest, gloves and a running hat. When I first started out I was warm and wished I'd left the vest at home and was considering dropping it off somewhere. By the time I was on the second loop I was wishing I'd left the long sleeved top on instead of the short sleeve. I did consult my favorite link "What Should I Wear" - it usually never fails - today however - FAIL. Or maybe it was just me and my piddly running pace.

About those fresh running legs? Not there this day, I felt tired and cranky and slow.

I finally got back home - looked at the clock and saw that I had 20 minutes to shower and pack for our overnight in N'awlins!! I didn't make it.

We drove to the city (Bill is from New Orleans and we have a lot of family there). Stopped by his Mother's house to drop off the boys and then headed to the Quarter to meet up with Bill's brother Charlie and his wife Jan and Bill's sister Sue who was in from California! It took us over an hour (more like an hour and a half) to go from Metairie to the French Quarter. Bumper to bumper traffic - it was like a parking lot!

Anyway we finally made it - found parking - $25 for 6 hours! Went and grabbed a bite to eat at Camillia Grill and then off we went with Charlie, Jan and Sue!! Eventually we ended up at Pat O' Brian's - yes it's a touristy place but there is a nice courtyard with overhead heaters. And those tired legs - not one grumble out of them!