Fatigued

I run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays lately. Looking ahead, it’s calling for rain on Thursday and a rain-snow mix on Saturday, so I wanted to make the most of today in case I didn’t feel up to longer runs in inclement weather. Gabe didn’t have school today, which was fortunate in that I wasn’t limited by time, but unfortunate in that it meant that I’d be pushing the stroller for the run.

I did 13.14 miles. That’s just over a half-marathon. Still almost a mile shy of my longest run length pre-tendinitis, but respectable nonetheless, and I didn’t do those earlier long runs with a wind-filled stroller holding me back. I made sure to take some Sport Beans at about 5 miles and drink water throughout, and I felt pretty good…until the run was over, at which point I nearly fell over from cramps in the backs of my thighs and my bottom. I guess I was using those muscles to help push the stroller along. Ow.

Ran into many groups of election day volunteers, out canvassing neighborhoods to make sure people were voting. They were in yellow and looked pretty nonpartisan, which cheered me; they also appeared to mostly be older teens and young adults, which is always encouraging. They called out to me to ask if I’d voted, then cheered for me when I hollered back that I had. I did also encounter a group of what looked like young teenagers outside a school where there was voting; they were lounging around, looking lazy, until one of them suddenly yelled the name of a candidate at me. As it happened, it was the candidate for whom I voted, so I punched the air at him and they all hooted happily. Odd day, today, but nice. Well, except for the fact that Gabe has decided that he actually prefers the sound of the other candidate’s name, and every time I say my choice’s name, he starts growling and throwing tantrums.

Got my free coffee, too! You get yours?