Allow me to introduce my new "best friend", Guilt...

So I've touted my blog to friends and family as a way to check in and make sure I'm still alive, despite my constantly-on-the-run absence. You know, the issue with this comes in when you don't have time to make posts and your cousin calls you in a loving panic, opening the conversation with "You haven't posted anything in a week, are you still alive!" It's a sad state of affairs when you can't find five minutes to leave a post-- something as simple as "still alive, too busy, sigh". There are definitely times I could have made a post, but then my 'best friend' Guilt sits down next to me. Guilt is my new, constant companion. She comes with me everywhere. Out to dinner with friends, to my soccer games, to the games for the girls I coach, in the office, with Eric and I on our very occasional 'date night'... everywhere. I don't like my newest companion. She is most unwelcome; I never purposefully invite her along, but there she is, everytime I turn around. Guilt likes to tell me things like "Did you finish your paper yet?" "You know you still have two more lectures to listen to." "Buzz, Buzz, your black berry now has 14 new messages, you really should take care of those." "The dog hasn't gone on a walk in a day and a half-- it's not her fault you signed up for too much." "Your long run is tomorrow, and you have not drank enough water today." Round and round we go. I expect that Guilt and I will become well acquainted with one another over the next several years, but hopefully with some prioritization I can send Guilt on mini-holidays for the sake of my own sanity and all parties involved.

In other news, I did my 18-mile long run on Friday before work. Yes, I started running at 4:45 in the morning and finished at 7:45 in the morning, only to then come home, shower, and go to work. Most people do their long, training runs on a Saturday or Sunday morning, for the simple fact that they take SO much time. I prefer to do mine on Fridays. I already know that I'm going to have to get up early for work, what's a few hours earlier to maintain some semblance of weekend 'freedom' (a term I use rather loosely, given the addition of Guilt)? It's worth it; although, I will say that 3 hours of running by oneself is a bit of a grind. I made it all the way to mile 16 feeling pretty decent and then the last 2-3 miles were AWFUL, tortuously boring-- accomplished by one, plodding step after another. Next weekend will be my last long run before the marathon; a 21-miler with Julie up in Chicago. She's going to roller blade with me along the lake front with a supply of gels, water, and the most important element-- the support of a best friend. Almost every single run up to this point has been by myself (even the shorter runs). This is the first long run I haven't dreaded up to this point, despite the distance. I believe Saturday night will find us out and about on Rush St. or something of the like. No doubt that Guilt will be there too, but with any luck (and probably a few glasses of wine), she will take a hike; leaving Julie and I to a Saturday night of actual fun.