On Sunday I decided to get a long slow distance (LSD) run in. I haven’t done one in quite a long time, well since early summer anyway. I planned it out so that I would get five miles in a run down to the waterfront where I would meet a friend for another 5 miles. I kept my options open for running back home and adding an additional five miles to the route. the prospect of post run sushi won out over the final five, but I did manage to get close to double digits in miles.

In preparation for this long run I ate some good solid food the day before, pasta and tofu. I also drank a lot of water to make sure I was super-hydrated. The hydration was the key I think. I have always run well the day after I guzzle water consistently throughout the day. The food was also good and I felt like I was very prepared physically for what I was about to do.

The run down to the waterfront was a run I used to do quite a bit. I have a couple of good neighborhood routes I can take. I was looking forward to returning to the route I used to do twice a day (to work and home with my backpack.) As much as I was looking forward to it, I kept feeling like it was going to seem long. Even though I had done the route so often previously, it still seemed like it was going to take forever. But fortified with a couple cups of coffee and a clif bar I headed out.

For some reason I was dragging at first. I was a little disappointed about how sluggish I felt at the start, but I quickly realized that this was just fine as I wanted to run slowly today in order to keep my energy level as high as possible for as long as possible. I was also a tad worried about the time as I was going to meet up with my friend at 10. I left a little after 9, so I figured I should have plenty of time, but I am an early nut so I fretted a bit.

After a couple miles my coffee started to catch up to me so I started keeping an eye out for a port-a-pot. I passed a guy and his dog and found one, but for some reason I decided I didn’t want to go it with the guy I passed right behind me. I don’t know why I have this thing for sneaking into port-a-pots, I guess it is because I am not supposed to be using it. I also figured I didn’t have to pee that bad so the next one would do when I got to it. After several blocks without seeing one I started to think about the poor economy and its effect on the construction industry which to me in my present situation means less port-a-pots. Why that isn’t a political rally cry I will never know. If I were running for pres I would run on the platform of putting a port-a-pot on every block through the creation of new construction opportunities. Obama should adopt the cry of increased port-a-pots. Of course the repubs would stop him as they would just use any one of the 5-6 bathrooms they have in their house! So rant aside, I’ll get to the point. After a half mile or so my need to pee turned into a demand, a port-a-pot was no longer just a political dream, it was a necessity! I took a turn through a rather affluent neighborhood hoping for a loo, no luck. I hated doing it, but the over-grown bushes in front of a house made up my mind. Yes friends, the republicans want you to pee in the street! Or better yet in someone’s yard (as long as it is in a democrat neighborhood, and since I was in the Clinton neighborhood I figured I was safe there.) Sorry folks, I feel a little bad, but I had to do something… And I felt so much better!

So the run continued and I found myself at the waterfront a few minutes early. The first thing I noticed was music coming from across the river, there was some sort of event going on. That is when I saw the first zombie, then another and another, I quickly realized it was a costumed run. The Run Like Hell run/walk which I sort of wish I had signed up for the half even though I have little desire to run costumed. We stopped by the event on the other side and it was pretty well organized. A lot of people were drinking a post-race beer which I never really understood. Post race always seems to early in the day to drink beer.

I was pretty tired for the last couple of miles and was fading fast. So when we finished what was my second five miles I decided that sushi was a much better idea than a third fiver. So off to eat went where I consumed the most plated of veggie sushi that I have ever eaten (seven!). My LSD run was done, a tad short but done.