Day 23: Hardest run ever... and can food be entertainment?

Coming off of the high's of this week's weight loss, I decided to tackle a 6 mile run this morning. I haven't run 6 miles since December 27. Between the holidays and getting sick, I was just not able to do it.

I've been thinking non-stop about the 15k coming up in 6 weeks, and decided I better do it this morning! It was probably not the best idea because of the previous reasons stated. I felt ok for the first 2 miles, but I kept coughing up crap and my nose was so runny. My lungs were burning, and I was just not feeling it. But I got to the point where to turn around would make no difference, so I pushed ahead.

Usually I do my longer runs on Sunday morning at 7am. There is little to no traffic, and I run on main roads. There are sidewalks for 5.5 miles of the course, but there is a half mile strech where I usually have to run in the road. Today that was not possible. I had to run in the grass on a slightly worn path. I've broken one of my ankles and sprained it numerous times, so I was starting to think it was a bad idea. On top of the fact that I was not feeling well, I decided to walk for .3 miles of the grassy area. It was a great idea. Though it slowed me down, it kept me from injuring myself, and allowed me to cough up a lot of the crap in my lungs. Sounds great, huh?

So here are my stats. Considering I walked .3 miles and took one additional 1 minute walk break, I had a nice finishing time and pace!

After the run, we did the weekly grocery shop, some laundry, and cleaned the kitchen. Then I decided to tackle 'the block', which is where I keep all of our documents. After buying the house and moving and since then, I've just thrown everything on top. Now that it's tax time and I need certain documents, I decided to go through it all and file everything... not fun, but now I have peace of mind!

I noticed the little ones had come in, but Pumpkin was still out back. JJ went to check on her, and found her try to dig to China. So he threw her in the tub, and I gave her the dreaded bath.

It was so weird though, after I dried her off, she hopped back in. She is terrified of the bath, so it was so bizarre. Turns out she enjoyed the smell and taste of the soap, so she was licking out the soap dish. What a weirdo!

So I shut the bathroom door, and she sat there crying to get back in. Seriously?! These dogs never cease to make me wonder...

Tonight I was part of an event at a Pizzaria, so JJ and I stopped by Mama Fu's for dinner. We could have had pizza, but I wanted something with a bit less calories. So I got the basil rolls at Mama Fu's. They were great, as always, but I'm still really hungry. I've had a really low calorie day, which isn't bad, but since I had the long run this morning, I probably should have eaten a little more earlier and not left myself so hungry all day.

So that brings me to tonight. I was invited to be a "local celebrity judge" at Brucci's Pizza. They had a pizza eating contest to celebrate their anniversary.

I know, I know, you're probably asking yourself 2 things. Why am I a celebrity? And pizza eating contest?!

Ok, first off, I'm a "local celebrity" beacuse of my affiliation with Folio Weekly's Bite Club (I'm the host and writer of the bite club blog http://www.biteclublog.com/)

Second, how could I possibly judge something like that? I've been going back and forth on this. Whether I wanted to talk about it on this blog, and whether or not I'd even participate as a judge.

Ok, I know a food eating contest isn't something that I would 'approve of' in the past, but I've learned that for some people, food isn't a big deal. It's something fun and you eat to live, and you eat when you're hungry, and you can have fun with it. I think I used to have a stick up my butt about things like this because I was jealous. I was so jealous that people could have that attitude. Jealous that to them, it's a fun competition, but to me, I'd be in heaven if I could sit there and eat a whole pizza.

So I decided to do it. I didn't have to, it wasn't part of my job, but it was an opportunity from my job. It was a fun event, not something I'd ever personally do, but a fun way for a local pizza place to celebrate their anniversary. I think I've learned to let go of my issues with food. I still have them, and of course, I'd love to eat a whole pizza, but it wouldn't be the same to me as it was to them.

I'm glad I was able to participate because it really was just a fun night. Not about the food and the calories, but about the people and the spirit. As a judge, I was able to give out style points, so it was not just about how much you ate, I gave points for cleanliness, crowd interaction, and eating style.

And in my little bit of celebrity spotlight, I got this basket from them... wine, spicy olive oil, and gift certificates to the restaurant! And in case you're wondering, I judged alongside Mike Hollis, a former Jacksonville Jaguar football player (a real local celebrity... haha)!