Rainy run on a Saturday

Last Saturday I finally made it down to the team run again. It was a pretty rainy day. In fact, it felt a lot like the Northwest, so I told myself that it was a good warmup in case the weather isn't so great on race day.

Once again, I was late, though it really wasn't due to four trips back to the house for things I had forgotten. In all fairness, I don't think my tardiness was my fault this time. Somehow the dudes at MN Department of Transportation had once again, in their infinite wisdom, decided to completely shut down the major interstate that connects Minneapolis and St Paul. This kind of thing happens with alarming regularity here in the Twin Cities. I have yet to find an acceptable explanation for this.

So, I spent a good 20 minutes exploring (read: bumbling) around the city trying to find my way down to River Road on the Mississippi to meet the team. I finally got there late but with just enough time to see Kristin, our awesome Team in Training coordinator, who gave me the route for the day. It was a 10 miler.

In the end, I was okay with being late. Like I've said before, I tend to be a solo runner. I turned my iPod on and jammed out for the first six miles or so. At about six miles, I was supposed to be turning right ("keep the river to your right!") on the Washington bridge on the campus of the U of M. It was also at this point that the drizzly rain turned in to a true downpour and I was glad to be wearing my nifty Team in Training hat made of the world's greatest material: DriFit.

I headed up the hill in search of the U of M covered bridge on Washington Ave and happened upon three other women who were with Team in Training as well. Yay! I wasn't alone after all! So the three of us explored (again read: bumbled) around the campus and finally found our way.

Our coach found us on campus and ran with us for a while too. Though, he didn't seem to have much more idea about where we were going either. No matter! Coach Kelly said I was a hammer. To which I, of course, replied, "I am, Coach Kelly??" I've never felt like more of a badass. I think Coach Kelly was being nice to me but whatever!

Here's a picture of Amy and I coming in for the final leg of the run, which ended up being 11.25 miles. For those of you keeping track (really just me), that's now officially the longest I've ever run. And I was a drowned rat when I got done. But I was a hammer! Coach Kelly said so.