One Minor Detail...

Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you plan for something. There will always be a ball or two that gets fumbled. I got a call from the priest of the church in Ohio where we're being married and he informed me that he hasn't received any of our official church paperwork from the Diocese. This is paperwork that we completed three months ago! Our Deacon in Austin was supposed to have filled everything out and sent it on its way. Unfortunately, our official "we're not related and have never been married before" documents are MIA. At this point, the ONE thing that could keep us from getting married is actually happening as we speak. Freaking obligatory paperwork for the Catholic Church. Ridiculous... I'm somewhere between nervous and just plain perturbed that we actually did everything well in advance and this is still happening. Apparently, our Deacon has copies of everything, but I have no idea what the next step in the process is...He's supposed to let us know. Can you believe that? I'm worried about a cake knife and the church doesn't have what they should've received months ago...All of the planning in the world to make a smooth road can take place and you still have to jump over a pothole or two. Send positive vibes my way! I know everything will work out (it always seems to), but it's pretty darn frustrating!!

Trying to chill a little on the workouts this week as I want to be fully rested for both the upcoming Half-Marathon in Dallas on 5/20 and I want to be rested and fresh for the wedding mayhem. The last thing we want is to be sore, tired and nursing IT injuries as we walk down the aisle! I'd prefer my Dad escort me down and not push me down the aisle!!

Tuesday 5/8
Did a 30 minute run in the morning before work. Part of that was my obligatory 2 miles on the track.
The track portion was 16:35
2.15 miles

I was going to do a bike ride after work (Time Trial on South Mopac), but realized the "official" Run-Far Time Trial is next Tuesday...duh. Therefore, out of guilt and stupidity, I was going to do it anyways, but decided to stop flogging myself and have dinner with my friends Cathy and Wendy last night instead. Both of them are flying from Austin to Ohio for the wedding and I wouldn't get a chance to see them otherwise before the big day.

Wednesday, 5/9
Got up and hit Barton Springs by 7:00am. I hit a new distance and pace record this morning!! YAY!!! I did a total of 5 1/2 laps, which equates to 2200 meters of open water swimming. I guess it does make a difference when the sun is actually up and you can see where you're going. The middle of the Springs felt choppy this morning for some reason. I felt smooth at the ends, but found it difficult to maintain my relaxation in the middle. I kept feeling like I was in an actual race body of water. While it was frustrating to lose rhythm, it was a relief knowing that my face wasn't going to get kicked by a competing age group athlete.

Lap 1: 8:52
Lap 2: 8:53
Lap 3: 8:56
Lap 4: 8:52
Lap 5: 9:16 cool down
Lap 5 1/2: 4:29

Hitting Corture tonight and may go for a slow 2 mile jog on the track. Thon and I are hitting the LAB Loop tomorrow for another simulated pace run to prepare for the Half in Dallas.

A few people have asked why I'm focusing so hard on a Half-Marathon when I've done a number of full Marathons. The answer is quite simply and quite literally for "a change of pace." Last year was all about distance for me. I trained for and ran the Boston Marathon in April and the Dallas Marathon in December. In between the two marathons, I managed to squeeze in two Half-Ironmans in June and in November. The good news is that each race was a PR event for me. I maanaged to better my times with each effort. The bad news? I was freaking tired and sore after all of that!! When I came back in January, I made it a goal to let distance go for a bit and really work on speed and strength. So far, it seems to be paying off nicely. My times for my workouts are improving. The Dallas Half-Marathon is my first real race test and attempt at a new PR. My Half PR is a 1:34. My goal is to go sub-1:33 which is basically a 7:00min mile pace. It's also my last race as a "Sapp." I want to make it a damn good one.

See what I mean about planning?? You can do all the preparation in the world, but certain things are still out of your ultimate control.