I got back from weekend of running the Prefontaine Memorial Run in Coos Bay, as well as my best friend's birthday party. The run is 10k (approximately 6.2m), and its all hills. We were joking its almost mountainous. Last Tuesday (4th of September), I injured my ankle on what was supposed to be an easy, slow, 6m run which quickly became a 2mile run followed by a 2 mile limp-home-pathetically. With leg injuries, your leg might feel better, you go running, and you find out, in a squelch of pain, that nope...you were definitely not better, and now its worse. So by race day, I hadn't run for the last 11days, although I had done some swimming, and I wasn't sure if my leg was better.
The injury didn't flare up until the mile long steep part of the run which starts about 4miles into the race. I made it up like 8/10ths up the hill, and then a surge of pain. I actually cried, partially because of the pain, partially because I thought I'd make it up the hill, and failing to do so was depressing. I was so fucking close. I limped up the rest of the hill, some people asking if I was okay (apparently, I didn't look healthy with the limping). I made it to the top, and ran the rest, which was mostly down hill. It was...painful, to say the least, and I probably can't run for another 2 weeks, which puts my half-marathon training off schedule. Still, I finished the race at 1hr03min, compared to last year when I finished at 1:18. So a 15minute increase in speed, an average of 10min9sec/mile I'm upset that my leg hurt, but still proud of myself for how much improvement I made. My goal for next year is to A: have a mustache so I can do the run looking like Prefontaine, and b: complete it in under an hour.
My best friend finished around 57min, and her boyfriend finished around 59. So we all finished within 6minutes of each other. If my leg hadn't flared up, I might have been able to beat them :p.
pictures before the race:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
I'm #129, best friend is #130, and her BF is #415
My shirt came off half ways through the race. But I only have one picture of that, and I look like I'm in excruciating pain (which I was), so yeah...not posting that.
This is the second time I hung out with her boyfriend, first time I've spent any significant time with him where we actually got to speak outside of a bar, and first since they went official. So I witnessed some hand-holding and a little cuddling from them. It was a little awkward.
But not because of the hand holding or cuddling...for a completely different reason:
SPOILERS! (Click to view)
It was awkward for me because, on the morning before the run, her sister and her mom were around. First off, they lack some social graces. I think we all have a friend like my friend's sister. Her sister really likes to talk, and talks a lot. And she constantly tells mundane stories that last forever. What should be "I drove down to the grocery store today" becomes a 5minute tale involving all the details, like how and when she turned on her blinkers to make that left turn at the light. They also interrupt, a lot...and interrupting is one of my pet peeves. Not only do they interrupt, but they talk over you, like they don't even recognize that what they are doing is rude. Sometimes, interrupting is called for, like when you have an important point or you misunderstood something said...but to go and on and on about something trivial (and often related only in the faintest way)? Bah. I have even less tolerance for it now that I'm back on Customer Service phone calls, and have to deal with getting interrupted all the time, and keeping my job means I can't call them rude ass mother-fuckers for interrupting me while I'm answering their question.
Anyways, the mom and sister started to talk about pranks, and then April Fool's pranks...and then about an April Fool's Joke my best friend and I played while we were still dating. I saw where it was going, so I tried to explain it fast so we could move onto a different subject. The two of us took pictures of me and her all dressed up, of me proposing to her. Well, the two started telling this story in front of the BF while my friend was gone. I tried to change t-nevermind, I'm getting interrupted. They start talking about how great me and my friend were as a couple. Hey about that local spo- and how so many people thought we were actually going to get married, and that the two of them could totally have seen that happening. Maybe we could talk abou-man, were the two of us really cute and good together.
Okay, first off...the mom had made comments to my ex, now my best friend, that she didn't really see us together. We also never had any plans or thoughts of getting married. Maybe in my wildest of dreams, but it wasn't something I seriously considered. Next...WHO THE FUCK DOES THAT? Seriously, talking about how great the Ex was to the new BF with both in the room? That was extremely uncomfortable.
She's my best friend now. While nothing could make me give up the 3years we had together, its not something I want to relive. Especially not in front of the new BF (whose actually a really cool dude, and I get along him with great. We both have a love for Carl Sagan, so he can't be bad). But they kind of forced my mind there.
And, outside of the race, the rest of the day I spent either her mother or sister were around most of the day. Now, I knew I would get very little time with my best friend and her new BF, and that means no time with her alone. I'm cool with that, and it was nice talking to some friends that I hadn't seen for awhile since I don't drive 4 hours to be down there any longer. But to spend the day, in pain, with people who started the day by upsetting me, and then also continued to interrupt me while I was talking to others...bah.
I did eventually get to have a private conversation with my friend. I had considered leaving that night, mostly because of the sister. Since my head was already forced into the "Remember the past" space, I also remembered how hard it was to get alone time with my friend when I was dating her...and I didn't want to be another inconvenience keeping her and her new BF from getting time together. But my friend wanted me around, and the next morning I got some time around with just her and her bf and have some good, and some silly, conversations. It was nice to get that, and nice to feel loved.
Having a conversation with someone is more than two people talking. It's two people understanding each other; and saying "oh I understand that" doesn't actually mean you understand. So, it was really good to have some actual conversations with the two of them.
In unrelated news...I've been feeling kind of depressed recently. I have ideas why, so going to try fix those things. We'll see how that goes. So far, it hasn't been too bad though. Just more a nagging feeling.
Hopefully it'll heal for good soon.
