First official post!

Although I haven't posted in QUITE a while, I have actually been training, I swear!

So as I started my very well planned out run around Raynham, MA, where my uncle and aunt live, I was actually thinking, I should really start blogging again, but just haven't really had anything good to write about. Little did I know that the gods were with my blog (not sure if they were actually with me)!

It started the night before this run, when I realized that somehow, although I remembered to bring every possible required piece of running attire for any weather I faced, that I completely forgot to bring a sports bra AND socks!!! Thank goodness for Marshall's down the street. After that late night shopping trip, I was officially committed to my 11 or 12 miler (still wasn't decided).

So this morning, I planned my run on MapMyRun, very methodically wrote down the directions, ate my piece of toast with peanut butter, and headed out. It was all going quite well. . . until I veered from the streets that I normally drive around to get to and from the house. That was when it all started to become slightly questionable.

I headed down what I knew to be a long stretch of this run, about 4 to 5 miles (btw, the Garmin GPS watch was low on batteries, so I left it at home). I came to a split in the road, and chose to go right, what seemed to be the sensible decision based on my plan. Let me stress "SEEMED TO BE."

As I ran, and ran, and ran, and ran a little further good ole' Pine Street, I began to second guess my decision. Before I knew it, Pine had turned into Beech, Beech in to Plymouth, and all of the street signs were suddenly red. Apparently, North Middleboro makes their signs red to set them apart. You may ask yourself, I thought Erin was running in Raynham, where is North Middleboro? Yeah, I thought so too!

So finally, after running much to far on a road which led to nowhere near my planned route, I decided to ask some friendly neighbors for a little assistance. FYI, for those non-runners reading this, when someone on foot, sweating, holding a bottle of water, asks you for directions, DON'T LEAD THEM TO A MAJOR HIGHWAY!!!!! I know it may be the fastest way home, but not necessarily the safest, or even legal way!

As I head down the recommended route, down the highway, running on the bumpy side of the highway that is intended to wake up sleepy truckers, not really knowing for sure if I'm supposed to be going East or West, I come to the point at which I begin to hope that a cop drives by to pick me up and drive me home, start to consider "thumbing it," and also consider just sitting on the side of the road waiting to think of a better plan. However, the insanity of the runner takes over and I decide, I'll just keep running.

And just about when I get to the point at which I am about to burst into tears, I see the key on the horizon. What is that key? FRIENDLY'S!!

So I walk into the restaurant, if it actually counts as that, and begin to tell my story. When I tell the hostess where I am headed, she seriously looks at me and says, "Oh, just jump back on 44, it's probably about 10 minutes that way!" However, when I point out that I am on foot (once again, apparently the sweat, running tights, and incredibly stylish sagging pony tail didn't do that job), she handed me the telephone with a smile.

Still not sure if Friendly's actually knew I was making long distance calls to California to my mother to get her to call my uncle to hopefully pick me up, however, about 10 minutes later, I was rescued! As it turns out 12.5 miles later :)

Sorry for the longest post ever, but I just had to share this story, play by play. I figure it's just making up for the past few months that I haven't posted :)

Oh, and I am officially moving on the fundraising. I am hoping to be at 1000 by the end of January! Check out my site if you haven't yet! http://www.firstgiving.com/erindaly

More to come!
EVD