I Am Not Invincible

So Grace had kind of a rough night- up a few times coughing and sputtering. I went in 2x and then Luke was up at 5am and Tom got him back down. I was tired but at least everyone seemed a bit happier today. As long as Grace had some tylenol and robitussin in her, she was ok. Today was day one of the no dairy diet and I've been playing it down. It's no big deal, the chocolate will be here for you in a few days, let's get your tummy fixed kind of thing and she was surprisingly cool about it. No bad potty issues so I think we're on to something.

Since I missed my run yesterday, I wanted to get in a good one today. On tap was an easy 45 minutes but I've decided my easy runs have become way too easy and it's probably worth while to step it up a bit. Grace tuned into Pocohontas II which is a terrible portrayal of the "Indian Princess" but at least Grace knows Pocohontas did not marry John Smith which is probably a hell of a lot more than most Americans know.

We have a TV set up in front of the treadmill so I don't have to face a torturous run while watching gross misinterpretations of American history. I had begun watching Invincible the other day and wanted to finish it. It's the story of Vince Papale who played for the Eagles in the 70s. It's a great movie with lots of cool moments. I like that his girlfriend is a true fan of the game. While I can't compete with her on the numbers, this fan remembers being thrilled by Ron Jaworski's short passes up the middle to big tight end John Spagnola. Of course I was only 2 when Papale played but I'm sure my dad was as glued to the TV as any Iggles fan. I really appreciated when the Cowboy's Tom Landry took the field in his sport coat and hat. They don't make them like him any more. Case in point: Bill Belichick. Not only does the man dress like some kind of school-yard punk, he's a cheater. And now a loser.

I took my time warming up and worked my way down to 10 minute miles when I felt the side sticker begin. No biggie I kept telling myself. Breathe on the alternate foot and it will work itself out. But it kept getting worse and worse and progressed to a full belly stinger. I was pissed. I wanted to see the end of the movie and have a decent run. I did not want to stop. I was practically bent double while struggling to breath and had to cut back my speed dramatically. I contemplated stopping but how lame would that be as I'm watching Vince Papale get the shit knocked out of him. I struggled on in true Philadelphia form.

It took about 10 minutes of painful plodding for it to ease up. When it did, I gradually added some speed and decided to go for an hour instead of 45 minutes. My last 2 miles were at 9:05 pace so I was pretty thrilled with that giving the mess in between. In the end, I ran just under 6 miles in 60 minutes. I'm not sure where the sticker came from but I know I don't want to see it's likes ever again.