17!September 12, 2004

Seventeen.
Miles.

I did it.

And honestly? Gazelleish. Most of it, that is. Miles 10-14 were pretty rough and rather painful. But when I hit fourteen (after not making fourteen 3 weeks ago) and knew I only had three left, I was good to go. Soooo happy.

After the run, four of us walked out into the ocean to chill our legs—miraculous, I tell you. We were flush with our success, as well, so we were four happy gals out there in the waves.

I canNOT believe I ran that far. Wacky, crazy stuff. Shit, this proves if I can run seventeen miles, anyone can. I don’t run. I don’t exercise. I’m a thirty-two year old ex-smoker with weak lungs (anyone remember me having pneumonia about six months ago?). You can do it. If you were out of your mind enough to want to, that is.

And after the beach, I went home, scraped the sand out from the blisters and from under my lifting toenails, took a good long shower, put clothes on, and went back out to meet Ghet, my realtor. We looked at four or five places, and wrote an offer on one. I’m zenning the house-search, by they way. What will be, will be. (The unit number of the one I wrote is 111, though. Hmmm.) I’m meant to be where I’m meant to be. That’s all I know. And I know if it’s less than seventeen miles away, I could run there. Well, tonight I couldn't. Tonight I think I'm a wee bit too tired to do it again. Maybe tomorrow.

Recap: I ran for four hours and fifteen minutes. I made an offer on a condo. Now I’m off to work for a few hours. It’s been a really fucking busy day. I’m going to sleep GREAT tonight.

Comments

[amisha]

Rachael, you are a *ROCK STAR*!! I am so happy for you, proud, and just blown away by your strength, energy, and determination. What an amazing feeling, after surviving injury and sore feet and shin splints and all the rest of it, to know that you can run... well, further than my mind can stretch right now, actually. :) I have to tell you that you are an inspiration to my slacker self! I have just found some running buddies, and am hitting the park tomorrow morning-- thank you for the incentive to get up early and *do it*! Yay!!

[Ann]

Woo! Hoo!

I swear to you, I was thinking earlier today, "jeez, what do you do after you RUN seventeen miles in one day?"

I was thinking more along the lines of "pass out on the couch," rather than "go write an offer on a condo."

Go Rach!

[Dani]

I can't believe that you looked at houses after you ran for 17 miles! You are truly an iron woman. You should be very proud of your achievement.

[Jessamyn]

Congratulations on all fronts! What a wonderful accomplishment(running) and exciting big girl opportunity (potential home-buying)!

[amy]

Unreal... what a day you have had! 17 miles.. 17 miles... You are amazing. Then you went out and put an offer on a condo? What a day, what a day!!

Feel free to post any beginner jogger tips when you get the chance :) Hey, if you can do 17 miles in the short time you have been jogging I think a lot of us are thinking we may be able to do one or two?! (My doctor would love you you know.. jogging is her answer to everything in life.. PMS? JOG. Headaches? JOG. etc. I am thinking if I went in there with a broken leg she would suggest a good run.. the woman is a fanatic I tell you, and man would she love YOU!)

[Neener]

YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION! How much f'ing coffee do you drink, and how many extra hours do you squeeze in on a "Rachel Super Woman" day? Geez, you kick booty, seriously!

[avril]

Amazing. I am so inspired by your progress that I have been thinking hard about running a marathon in the spring. I've been a runner for years but have never bothered to push myself beyond 6 miles. And best of luck on your new digs~may something fabulous come your way. Don't ya just love days like this?

[melissa]

Wow!!!! 17 miles is SO awesome! You rock. Truly and utterly.

[Lorette]

Sheeesh....I might be inspired to run up the stairs to get another peach martini; this is the extent of MY exercise today. You've got more guts than any girl I know...

[Celia]

I give you one gold star for reaching your goal of seventeen miles. Awesome! You get another gold star for pursuing your dream of homeownership. And I'm throwing another gold star in because you are the most effing impressive ebulient person!! Three gold stars to you Rachael! May you continue to have days like today!

[Brenda]

Wow, good for you! You go girl!

[Juliette]

U Go Gril ... snap it up!

[Juliette]

Opps...not the pace...the feeling....you know...snap it up...hold it tight.

[renee]

All I gotta say is you are f-in amazing.

I swear you make my ass go to the gym every day.

[mj]

I KNEW IT!! And didn't I say gazelle like??? Oh yeah....she did it...she did it...she did it....You are so amazing! I am incredibly proud of you!!!!! As for the condo...very cool...you'll know your future home when you see it..

17 miles...you just rock.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxomj

[Em]

Mmmmmm, peach martini.

SEVENTEEN. To say "You rock" seems such the understatement. Wow. You're really doing that marathon, aren't you?

[Cathy]

Congratulations! Just shows you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

[Becky]

YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

[caroline]

Run, Rachael, Run! (it's a new movie starring that famous, awesome babe, Miss Rachael...marathons and condos and Banjo Girls, Oh, MY!!!
...everything's possible, eh?
hugs...

[maryse]

woo-hoo on everything! the 17 miles, the chilling in the ocean, the condo offer.

good luck on that by the way! maybe you can get that cool aqua chair for your new place ;)

[jamie]

I have been lurking about reading blogs lately. I don't have a blog of my own, so I don't usually comment, but being an ex-runner, I feel compelled.
17 miles!? that's f*ing AWESOME. Total congratulations!!!! That is a mile stone all of it's own. People have always thought I was crazy for LOVING running, but hell, YOUR LEGS, YOUR BODY, just carried you 17 MIles!!! Doesn't that feel great! Of course you went house searching, you can do anything!
- Best wishes and kind thoughts for those sore muscles.

[brenda in toronto]

What everyone else said ;)

[Mariko]

Good for you for getting through that 17 miles! Now you know you can do it! And how are your shin splints? Okay? Better? And good luck on the condo! Can't believe how life just keeps introducing new stuff!

[Silvia]

Wow! Yeah to the 17 miles and yeah to the offer! Good luck.

[Rebecca]

Rach! You did awesome! What a rock star moment! It feels good to have run the furthest you have ever run!

I'm wishing for success on the house offer.

[jody]

17 miles! that's SO awesome. now go have a big hot fudge sundae and celebrate ;)

ps - good luck with the offer!

[cursingmama]

Go YOU! What a day - much back patting and Woo Hoo's to you!

[Mandy]

Heh - just as I was waiting for this page to load so I could leave a comment, a comment from you popped up in my mailbox! :) Anyways. I am constantly impressed with your running reports. I think you need a tiny gazelle tattoo. ;)

[michelle]

You amaze me. I don't even want to drive 17 miles. Kudos to you.

[xtina]

holy toledo, kid. I know you're a pooped lady, however i'm still tempted to stop by your house to drop off some sort of reward present to commemorate 17 miles. But I won't, cause if i were you i wouldn't want someone dropping by when I was beat. I'd also offer to do your laundry for you, which I won't for the same reason! All of this to say, way to go! My pneumonia lungs are afraid: they know they have no more excuses! xoxo!!!

[Janet]

Are you NUTS?? I'll toast your achievement from the couch, thank you!! No couch potato, you! I'm impressed!

[Meg]

I'll bet that aside from feeling great, that salt-water swim was therapeutic. You're amazing!

[Rachel T.]

OMG!! The community of Rachel/aels congratulates you!!! You are definitely my new role model.