Woot! I rocked the CENTER last night in the Firecracker 5000! I ran an average 8 minute 6 second pace. Splits:

Mile 1: 8:24

Mile 2: 8:17

Mile 3: 7:56

Last lap page: 6:49

Yeah baby!

I found Marie at the beginning with her husband and son. We hung around at the start then left our husbands (and her son) so that we could move up to the 8.5 min/mile pace area. I figured that would be about right with just having run a marathon, and actually being rather tired and not feeling great.

Got started together and she took off. I was fine with that. Suddenly right at about 1 km I just felt STRONG, we headed up a hill and I took off passing people right and left. No, I'm not the speediest wheel on the bike, but wow. I was amazed at how many people I passed! I passed Marie and called out to her and just kept on going. Decided to make a goal of negative splits, and hit that goal square on.

I really REALLY needed that boost last night. I have been feeling really horrible this week. My hormones are so messed up that yesterday was very ugly. I even hurt myself doing something really stupid in my anger and frustration. Poor Roy. When I asked him if he was mad at me (for my over the top reaction...and by over the top I mean Hulk x 1000), he said "No, I was just sad for you." Thank GOD he gets it. I have a friend who deals with similar issues and her husband just doesn't buy into the whole "PMS Thing." Where is that rusty bottle brush when you need it?

On a good note, I feel much more balanced today. I even managed to install a new video card into my computer without issues (other than unseating the RAM and trying to figure out the beep codes, and a frustrating thing where Microsoft in all its wonder, requires NVidia to disable cloning at a high resolution to a television, so the resolution I'm getting sucks ass). So now I can work on my computer in my room, and in the "gym" we can watch a DVD or workout video, or listen to music from the computer, or watch a movie from the computer, or watch TV through the computer. I feel so UBER GEEKY!

Today's plans are to have a very low key fourth. Our dogs need us to be around with all the fireworks. Murphy already has his valium on board (he's getting up there in age, and the fireworks make him IN-SANE). So we're going to have a fire in the firepit and watch the neighborhood explode around us. I have a long bike ride tomorrow so I may just stick with upper body workouts. Besides, I already got my run in today. Man I am STILL stocked from that run!