I always thought I was the tortoise, not the hare, but clearly I got off to a fast start I couldn’t maintain.  Still, I managed to complete 3 miles on a new route (one that has a BIG hill -- remember KB’s hill, Kayla?) and I did it 10 minutes after wolfing down a plate of Mr. Mom’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  (This part is not recommended.  It’s just that when a man cooks you dinner, you eat it, gratefully, before you do anything else, even if that anything else is running for the first time in 10 days because your friends are cheering you on.)

By the way, isn’t that just the niftiest graph you’ve ever seen?  That’s the beauty of Nike+.  All I did was plug my iPod into my laptop and this cool summary of my run appeared.

I feel compelled to give a shout-out to each and every one of you who encouraged me:  Kayla, Nat (Welcome, Nat!), Sizz, Undomestic Diva (so glad you’re better!), Flea, Jennifer, and Mandy -- you’re the best.  If you ever need a favor or a little encouragement, I’m your gal.  And if you need a running partner, just look me up under MayMagpie at nikeplus.com. 

P.S. to Kayla: I was just joking about raising you a mile.  12 miles is a plenty-big challenge for me given the demands of this week. But what’s a headline without a little smack to get your attention?

This is the where the meatloaf set in.