Really nice weekend

I’m so happy this three-day weekend worked out so nicely.

Saturday morning, John and I got up a little before seven to go run a 5K in Reston.  It was the 1st Annual Anthen Great Pumpkin 5K, starting and ending in Reston Town Center.  We had perfect running weather; the temperature was about 60, it was overcast (so no sun to make it hotter), and while it was pretty windy at first, the wind died down once the race started.  There were about 2000 runners registered, and we started in about the first third of the pack.  Neither one of us really felt ready for this, so we weren’t really worrying about our race times.  I would have been thrilled just to run the whole thing (I didn’t), but even that wasn’t going to bother me.  Have I mentioned that I’ve been trying to take all the stress out of running?  I’m running to lose weight, and when I’m not worrying about how fast I’m going or how far I’m running (before I have to walk for a while), I enjoy it.  So I’ve decided to view these 5Ks as extra workouts with a whole bunch of strangers.  Anyway, I figured I’d run the first mile for sure and then see what happened.  My time at the first mile marker was 9:42, and I gave myself permission to walk whenever I felt like I needed to.  But I wanted to see if I could at least make it to the water station at the halfway point.  I’d just slow down a bit, since I did the first mile a little faster than I expected.  A half-mile later, I had a couple of gulps of water (most of it was on my shirt) and we were heading downhill, so I figured I’d at least run to the bottom of the hill, still trying to consciously slow my pace down.  I was in no hurry.  And then it flattened out and I realized I must be close to the end of the second mile, so I decided to try not to walk until after the second mile.  I managed that, but not much further.  My time for the second mile was 9:37, which I just don’t get.  I was deliberately slowing down during that mile, wasn’t I?  Doesn’t matter much, though, ’cause I was ready to walk.  For the third mile, I walked a little, jogged a little, walked a little, jogged a little, and then I jogged the last tenth to the finish line.  Final race time: 32:11.  I’m okay with that.

From the race, John and I went to breakfast at this new diner in Ashburn.  It’s on 7, over by the big church, and it’s pretty good.  We’ll be back to check out the rest of the menu.  John spent the rest of the afternoon playing his guitar, and I went to Babies-R-Us to shop for Amanda’s baby shower.  John had rehearsal at Lloyd’s place starting at 6, so I ordered Indian food and watched Untraceable.  It was okay.  Not good, but watchable.  I like Diane Lane.  I think she looks like a normal person.  A beautiful normal person.

Sunday, we slept in a little and had a leisurely breakfast (eggs, toast, banana nut muffins, tea), and then I walked the dogs (long walk) while John mowed the lawn.  Then we rushed a little to get ready to go to the baby shower.  Because Amanda and Greg are having a baby!  Yay!  Lisa, Greg’s sister, hosted the party at her apartment building in DC, and she did a great job.  It wasn’t a particularly girly shower (which everyone appreciated), and John and I won the fill-in-the-blank nursery rhyme game!  (That sounds girly, but really, it wasn’t.  And the food was great.  Not sure why I’m in parentheses for this.)

This morning, we got up and ran, and then after breakfast, John sat down for some serious studying and I went to run errands.  I went to Wegman’s, rushed home to put the brisket in the oven (so it won’t be ridiculously late when we have dinner), and then went back out to buy new running shoes and firewood (Wegman’s didn’t have any).  John built a fire and now we’re both on the couch in the family room.  It’s very cozy.  John has his textbook and I have my laptop (which I will soon be trading in for my book), and in a little while (because dinner won’t be ready until 7:30 and I’m feeling a bit peckish) we’ll probably have some cheese and wine.

That’s enough typing.  Time for reading!

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