Well after many wonderful beach vacations, it's finally back to the real world. (Well sort of, I still don't start classes for another two weeks, whooo!)

Thanks to everyone for the congrats in regards to getting my article published. (See previous entry if you missed it!) In response to Annette's question about how the article ran in so many papers: I'm a journalism major and I interned at a wire service over the summer. If anyone is familiar with the Associated Press, my wire service worked the same way. Basically, I wrote stories for my editor, which she then put out on the wire and any paper that subscribed to our wire could run the story. It was fun and an awesome experience.

So now that I'm back to reality, it's also back to serious training. I'm getting down to crunch time here. The Rock N Roll Half is only two weeks away! YAY!

This morning was my last long run. Now that I've finished it, I'm officially in taper mode (my favorite part of training!)

So 10 miles this morning. Finished in 2:09:42. I had to walk a decent amount because it was really hot and humid. When I left at 6 this morning the sun wasn't quite up but it was still 72 degrees with 90 percent humidity. Ahhh! When I got back it was 76 degrees with 92 percent humidity, making the real feel up in the mid to high 80's.

Ran the first four miles and started introducing running and walking at the beginning of mile five. I didn't do anything super-scientific to determine mine run/walk intervals. I went by how I was feeling and picked a landmark. Very fartlek-esque.

I felt like I was starting to hit the wall in the last half mile or so. My legs were feeling heavy and everything hurt (not bad hurt...just tired please let this run be almost over hurt). I thought I did a pretty decent job fueling, but I wish I would have had a little more energy at the end.

I woke up feeling so not hungry, but forced down three Clif Shot Bloks because I knew I was going to need energy later. I grabbed my Propel and a Clif Shot gelto take with me. I took the gel or at least as much of it as I could stand to force down my throat around mile five. I think if I had been able to get the gel opened sooner (yea it took forever) I would have been able to slurp down more of it before I passed the dumpster. (Being the quasi-tree-hugger that I am, I couldn't stand the thought of throwing the thing on the ground when I was done and I didn't want to carry it and drip gel all over myself for the next five miles!)

Nothing major hurt on the run. I felt a few muscles tweak a bit because of soreness and general "I haven't really run very much the last two weeks while I was on vacation" tiredness. But other than that I only have good things to report.

And I am STOKED! to finally be tapering! WHOOOOO HOOOO!

Now as promised: Pictures from vacation!

View from my porch in Myrtle Beach, SC.

We could walk right from our porch onto the sand. Yay ocean front house!

View of the ocean from the porch in SC.

Sun setting over the marina when we were at dinner.

Picture of the crazy thunderstorm that I thought was going to knock our house off the stilts and break all the windows on our last night in SC.

Goofy picture of me pretending to kiss the dolphin in Rehoboth Beach, DE. (Just a short drive away from where we were staying in Ocean City, Md.)

My two friends from high school Anne and Kim at Dogfish Head Pub in Rehoboth.

Me with my friend the crab at the all-you-can-eat crab house in Ocean City.