I laughed at Lana's ice cream dilemma last week, but only until I found myself down the ice cream isle facing the same thing! The little devil on my right shoulder made me do it, but who can resist peanut butter and chocolate ice cream!! I am not strong, well at least not strong in my brain. I think the ice cream helped pump up my muscles because I DON'T lift weights!

No laughing please, no snide remarks either! I eat my spinach AND my peanut butter ice cream (only occasionally since I am lactose intolerant). I rationalize by telling myself that I'll burn all the calories anyway and you only live once so you may as well enjoy it!

Training? So far so good. Saturday's run was 12.3 miles, pace was 9:02, the slowest I've run in months! The great news was that I didn't wear the ITband brace, perhaps that's why I was slower (or it was the ice cream), but I didn't dare push it too hard. The run was wet, cold, muddy, but the best 12 miles in a long time. Don't you love it when you get into your rhythm, you've tuned the world out, your breathing is almost hypnotic, your legs are just going all on their own, no pain just smooth sailing. I hit that moment by mile 6 already! Only problem was that I was so focused that I didn't really pay attention to the biker coming towards me. Apparently she had been yelling at me but I never heard her until she was a few feet away. She was yelling at me to get off the bike path! What? There's no sign that says "no runners allowed!" Besides, I was right on the edge of the path minding my own business. After she flew by me in a huffy fit, I spent the next 10 minutes all out of sorts. Kept thinking of all the things I should/could have said but didn't, it ruined my perfect cadence too! I decided to get off the path that follows the still frozen lake (yes, full of ice and ice chunks) and dart off to the parkway. It was great to run on the marathon course, it brought pack some painful memories but I will tackle them once again on October 5.

I still haven't purchased a bike so the (30 mile) indoor ride yesterday was a bit hot and boring. Hopefully I'll get one soon! The tennis match I played in went well but I know I could have done better. We'll see how Wednesday's match goes.

The weather is finally cooperating, I hope everyone is having better training days.