Audiobooks and Almond Joys

Things you could do in an hour and a half-

Sit through an entire class at Hockaday, including a ten minute passing period

Watch a movie (not Avatar, but who really wants to do that anyways?)

Watch an episode and a half of Gossip Girl

or three episodes of Modern Family

Move a couple blocks in LA traffic

Make 6 Rachel Ray's 15 Minute Meals

Watch a bajillion Youtube videos

The possibilities are endless...

I chose* to run 9 miles

*I also chose to do most of my homework in high school, chose to is not synonymous with wanted to, just sayin'

Anyways, I woke up in a panic. You know how there are certain ages that sound old? 12 doesn't sound old, but 13 does. 20 doesn't sound old, but 21 does. 22 doesn't sound old, but 23 does. 26 doesn't sound old, but 27 does. You get the idea. Well, it's the same with mileage. 8 miles doesn't sound too bad, but 9 miles sounds like an eternity of hellish agony.

Today, I ran 9 miles.

Goals:

1. To finish

2. To not let Kristen pass me (Yes, last time it was to not lose sight of Kristen, but I had to be realistic- I was going to lose sight of her. We run this three mile loop around the neighborhood and I was honestly surprised she didn't pass me.)

Embarrassing story- when I was little, I listened to these stories on cassette tapes (Adventures in Odyssey). Like, obsessively. I would fall asleep listening to them, play them while I was getting ready for school, play them while I was doing my homework, play them in the car- I think I can still quote a good portion of them and I had a million of these tapes. Well, when I was little I would put one in my tape player and run around the yard listening to it. So this morning, when I was anxiously contemplating how I was going to make it through 9 miles, I thought of Connie, Eugene, Mr. Whittiker (Characters from Adventures in Odyssey) and came up with this awesome idea- I would download an audiobook and listen to it during the run. I would be so engrossed in the story, I wouldn't even notice my body breaking apart. I didn't take into consideration that running around my yard until I got tired and sat in the grass wasn't quite the same as running 9 miles. Although I loved Adventures in Odyssey when I was seven, I felt I should branch out, so I downloaded I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell. I read some reviews on Itunes and the female audience seemed to be disgusted, while the male audience seemed to revere the author and his, ahem, escapades. I made it through his adventures in Vegas and at the University of Tennessee, but eventually grew tired of his drunken rampages and turned on my tunes around mile 4.

The second three-mile-loop was a tough one, I think my jog could be better described as a hobble. I literally tripped over a huge stick in my path at one point and was surprised I didn't collapse onto the ground. There is a point in the loop where you run across a somewhat busy intersection. I know it's horrible, but as I ran across it I thought- If a car hits me, at least I can stop running. Yeah, it was lookin' pretty bleak. But finally, I finished. And, Kristen did not pass me. Or, if she did, I didn't see her- then again, I didn't see the huge branch in the middle of the road either.

Through all the trying times, one thing in particular kept me hobbling along- Halloween candy. Almond Joys, to be exact. Bring on the chocolate I will steal from my nieces' trick-or-treat bags while they sleep :]

Happy Halloween!