Now that I've buried my old PR...

Have you ever been in this scenario:
You want to buy something, but you really can't afford it or justify the expense, so you think up some impossible thing that can only happen with a miracle and say that if that thing happens, you'll make the purchase?

That's what I did last week when I was looking to buy the HBO series Six Feet Under on DVD. It was $110, which is pricey, but I told myself that I'd deserve it if a miracle happened and I broke my 5K PR in the first race of the year without training or preparing at all for it. And there wasn't much chance of that happening...I thought. Now here we are, 50 seconds faster than my record, and I'm deciding not just if I should spend $110, but if I should spend $190 on the larger gift set (which is supposed to protect the discs better than the thinner, less-expensive packaging).

Decisions, decisions.

I will end up getting it one way or another, not just because I promised it to myself as a reward, but because in a weird way, the show has had a significant impact on how I appreciate life, and I never want to forget how important that is.

I had originally just watched a few episodes from season 5 in which Chris Messina made appearances as a secondary character, and when I got to the end of the season (and incidentally the series), I was really affected. It stuck with me for months, and I ended up going back and watching the entire series, which moved me even more to try and get out and appreciate life while I have it.

Another good run

Yesterday I got in a 2-mile run before sunset, and I am happy to say that my legs once again felt great. I tried to pay attention to form -- concentrating on keeping my back straight and lifting with my quads with every step rather than pushing up with my feet and lower legs -- and my shins didn't hurt at all. The pace was not hard, but it was a bit brisk, and by the time I was done, I was out of breath, and my legs were a bit shaky as I stretched out. They've been out of training for a long time, now! It was a good run, though.

At night I got a kind of reward for the 10k I ran in September. Since the course was improperly marked and official times could not be given, all participants were given two free tickets to a show of choice at the local community college's performing arts center. Last night the support staff and I redeemed them and saw a great production of Oklahoma! It wasn't a fancy medal, but I appreciated it as a reward for the 10k.

Rewards

After breaking my PR at the July 25th 5K, I promised myself that I would splurge and buy myself a CD or DVD that I had been wanting. I couldn't decide which one to get, though. Being the Lord of the Rings nerd that I am, I really wanted to buy another one of the movie soundtracks. I also have a list of bands/artists like Jethro Tull, Matchbox Twenty, Loreena McKennitt, and Nancy Anderson whose CDs I'd like. I am kind of bad at making decisions in the first place, and this was too many options. Breaking the PR a week and a half later in the August 6th 5K made the decision-making easier, though - I'd get myself two CDs.

But which two?

After far too much thought, I finally settled on The Two Towers soundtrack and Jethro Tull's Stand Up. I also bought my running buddy a 13.1 decal for her car.

This week I've run 2.5 miles on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday, and 2.5 today. I'm going to rest full tomorrow and hopefully fit in 10 on Saturday for another 20-mile week.