The marathon

The week leading up to the Houston marathon was not what I had planned. Instead of getting in runs, I did 3 spin classes and zero running. I called it a really hard taper. Every night I would go out to my lake and see if I could shoot anything that moves, with my bow and arrow. I'd put out some marshmellows, and they'd be gone the next day. So I knew their was activity, I'd just have to see it.
So with my lights I'd see a raccoon, an opposum, some deer, a red fox, and something in the water. A nutria rat. Several nights I've seen it, and so I moved to a different spot JUST to kill it. I think most of my energy went to killing that huge rat than getting prepared for a marathon.
SO I am out, trying to not wake the neighbors, so I have to use a bow and arrow, a two handed mechanism. Well, unfortunatly I needed to hold a light too.
Magan was volunteered to hold the light. The night we saw it, I didn't shoot. It was too far and not a good shot. I didn't feel like losing an arrow for no reason except a 10 percent chance of hitting it.
The next day I get permission to use a gun from Vicki, my neighbor.
But, I'm off to Houston in this timeline of the week, and going to Justins to spend the night.
Before I get there, I do some errands, and pick up my packet for the marathon. I'm running under the name 'wink;)'.
Wak up at 5 and eat/get ready to hit the marathon.

Justin ran with me the whole way. I had unfortunatly lost the ability to wear any shoes since doing primal quest, because a huge blister would grow if I did. SO I was stuck with using the Nike Free's. By mile 6 I was feeling the Free's and not doing anything for a solid week, plus some from the week before(2 total weeks with one run).

The calves were the first to go, feeling tight and like I needed a stretch. But no stopping while running. Mile 10 had some slight fatigue in my quads. Nothing bad though, almost half way done!

We saw Wooch and Jill on the course, and the thousands of cheerers, and passing everyone....it was very motivational! At mile 13.1, we were half way. I was feeling tired, but not really. My quads and calves were toasted, and blisters on my feet(in normal places) started to appear.

Mile 16, we see Justin's girlfriend, Allison and give a quick hug, and we have motivation for some more miles.

Around mile 20, we see Shaun and Patti. YEAH!. They rode next to us for a bit and time really flew in that section. The legs were really feeling tired, but I was still able to run. My longest I've ever ran straight was 18.5, so I was crushing my personal record with every step.

From mile 23, it got tough. We picked up the pace and my legs hurt. After running an 8:30 pace for 23 miles, and picking it up to a 7 min/mile pace WHILE my legs were fatigueing to the point of no return. The calves started to really flare up with lively pain. Could this be what not training properly will do to you? Will my calves rip themselves off of the bone?

I would tell Justin, that I wanted to get home and kill something after doing something for so long. I was getting ready for tonight.

Mile 24, I hear some Rocky music and pick it up to a 6:30 pace. We're cruising past lots and lots of runners.

Mile 25 and I'm hurting bad now. Not just my legs, but I'm starting to breathe heavy too. But I hear another Rocky song and hit that last mile with a good stride. Feeling stronger.......almost done now! Dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun......FLY!!!!!!!

Mile 26, we cross the line, under 3:40. Good enough for 635th in the race.

I head home, pick up my new tandem from BIKE LANE, and get ready to hunt.

I'm out, I took the bow and arrow, and my 30.06 with Varmit bullets and a couple of lights. We wait and within 5 minutes I see a raccon 30+ yards at the end of the lake. I take the bow and make a hard to see shot. The red lens cap on the spotlight took a lot of the visability away. I shot just under him, and lost my arrow tip in a stump.
5 minutes after that, we(Magan and I) hear the nutria swimming to our right. We switch positions, and spotlight it. It's around 60 yards away, swimming back and forth....all I can see is it's head.
Then it comes up on a shallow peice of land in the water. BOOOM! I take the shot.

One nutria rat dead.

Unfortuantly the 30.06 woke all the neighbors, and make a tremendous ECHOOOO!