Today was the funeral for my grandmother. I had this idea that everything would be wrapped up by 1:30 and I would be able to get in a nice afternoon run. I was wrong. Family gatherings always take longer than you anticipate, and that’s usually because you’re having a good time. Today was no exception. After the funeral and graveside service, we all went out to lunch. I ate way too much. There seemed to be a contest between my brothers and me to see who could eat the most rolls. Nobody wins in a contest like that, but it sure was fun. I must have eaten 6 rolls before my “turf & turf” came out. That’s right, I had two 8-ounce sirloins. I was drinking water, but I figured I must have had well over 3000 calories at lunch. That’s not normal for me, especially at lunch… and then we didn’t get home until after 3:30. I wasn’t sure I would have time to run, but I decided I didn’t have a choice.

I jumped on the treadmill and started running. I walked a bit here and there, but kept up a decent pace. Suddenly I was closing in on 5 miles and realized I still had a lot of gas in the tank. Normally I’m running on empty by the time I hit 5 miles and if I go on to 6 it’s because I’m walking. Today I thought I may be able to run most of that last mile… and I knew if I did, I’d set a new personal best.

That’s exactly what I did.

Jumping jacks: 50
Push-ups: 100
Time at mile 1: 0:09:20
Time at mile 3: 0:31:40
Time at mile 6: 1:02:23