2nd run together!!!!

I would just like to start off saying that I'm SOOOOOO proud of Sam for doing the Shuffle last week, especially in that terrible weather. If I had been signed up, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have immediately tried to bail, then guilted myself into running it with Sam, bitched the whole time about the weather, and basically ruined the whole experience for everyone. Running a race is an amazing feat in itself. Running the whole race is stupendous. Running the whole race when the weather is absolute shit is godly. You're the best Sam!!!!

Today, we ran a 5 miler together. I went to Sam's to do it. It starts and finishes with a hill, damnit!!!! It was a good run. It's weird to do someone else's course and not know where you're going and about how long it takes to get there. It was tough on the first half for me to really get into it because I couldn't visualize how much further I had to go until it was time to turn around and run back. And, I'm used to running in the 'burbs and avoiding streetlights. The stopping and starting was weird to get used to as well. But in the end, we finished the run, we didn't stop for anything except cars, and we even managed to talk during some of it!

I keep thinking to myself how much better the training is going to be for this halfer and so far, it has been. Last training, there would have been no way in hell Sam and I could have spoken a word to each other. Plus, we push each other to keep going-it's much easier to stay motivated when you know your running partner isn't giving up. I'm really excited this time around. It feels great and I'm ready for the harder runs to start coming (basically, everything after 5 is going to be a bitch to do). :)

~James

A picture of us after the 5 miles (added by Sam)!