My Phobias

"We only get to run four miles today?"

I said that. This morning.

The crazy thing is that I meant it and I was genuinely disappointed when our group mentors said that we should turn around if we were doing the half marathon. So, I didn't turn around. I had been toying with the idea of continuing to run with the full marathon mileage and see how I felt as June approached, and so I ended up running 8 miles this morning.

I did learn an important lesson today though; try not to have to use the bathroom while running because chances are you will lose your pace group. I have a phobia of needing to use the restroom when there isn't one available. I only have two phobias, that and the fear of stepping on sea life in the ocean (I'm serious, fish are gross). Heights, I'm also afraid of heights - so three phobias for me.

My desperatelyhavingtopeeandbeingstuckinaplacewherethereisn'tabathroomobia used to crop up in traffic, but in LA I have learned to be very diligent about taking care of things before I get behind the wheel. Now, Sunday mornings produce a bit of anxiety. I ask around, find out where a few good bathrooms are and usually feel better. The problem today was that I was told there would be a bathroom sooner than when I actually saw one. Those of us who suffer from the aforementioned phobia know, that as soon as you DON'T see the bathroom you were supposed to see you DESPERATELY need one. Two miles into the run and I hadn't seen the promised beach toilet. I asked the group, "where is the bathroom?" in a semi-panicked tone. The mentor leading the group chuckled, "to the right of left" (we were running in Marina Del Rey, over a bridge with water on either side - he is a comedian.) Then we got off the bridge, rounded a corner and he pointed out the real bathroom to me.

I sprinted ahead. Problem number one solved, problem two becomes the fact that I run out of the bathroom, trudge through sand and see my pace group about 150 feet ahead of me. I really don't know how that happened, I was fast in there.

So, I joined what I thought was the pace group after mine. Ran for a while and realized, it was actually the pace group ahead of mine. I was winded as we approached the half way mark but then I saw my group! Turning around... headed down the hill after a nice little break. Choose Your Own Adventure time - stay with Group 4, get a nice break but wheeze the 4 miles back or join with Group 5 and forfeit my break time? I went with Group 5 and wheezed the 4 miles back anyway.

I feel amazing now though!