Busy week before the ING Ga. Marathon

Election. Tuesday night was tense at the campaign election party. My friend (KP) and her like-minded candidate friend (KD), running for a second open seat in the city elections, had to wait an extra 75 minutes after the polls closed to hear the results from one precinct. The power had gone out and they had to ship the voting machine somewhere else to extract the results.

Meantime, as the other four precincts and absentee counts came in we rode the roller coaster of close races. Early on we were ahead in both races with half the votes in. Then the absentee and another precinct came in and KP was behind while KD was slightly ahead. There were very mixed emotions going on and much gnashing of teeth.

The final count was called in and KD won with 51% and my pal KP lost with 48%. They are both classy women and each gave perfect remarks following the declarations. I was proud of them. Best of all, our voters approved a commuter rail stop for downtown at Central Park where I run on Sunday mornings. We will finally join the modern transportation world!

Running. Wednesday morning I went out for my last speed work before next Sunday's date in Atlanta. 3x1600 was on the dance card and I gave it my best. It was not an even run but it was respectable. My best time (7:43) was within a second of a top 3 time for the distance. On average, I was 10 seconds slower per mile than two months ago when I was a little fresher and the weather was cooler.

Running with the Kids. I just want to make it clear that I hung with the cadets last night, until the end. In fact, I might have outlasted them if I had to. We went to an NBA game early in the evening, enjoying the hospitality of a team VP friend who kept buying us drinks - before the game and at halftime in their private club. When the home team won the game we ended up back in the club waiting for traffic to die down. T and his cadet friend hooked up with a Winter Park friend from high school to go for beverages at a nearby hotel bar.

It was the kids who called me to see if I was ready to go home. I said no. Then I caught a ride from my friend to a popular Irish pub on our way home. I alerted the cadets they could meet me there. A black and tan later the cadets showed up, shared one beer and gave me the look: let's go home. Okay Okay!

I amazed myself how well I recovered from the night out and made it through the workday. I was definitely a slow starter but I managed to earn my full wages. Now, how much longer I can last tonight is up in the air.

Countdown. From here on I will throttle back on my performance-sapping behaviour. The kids leave Sunday so I will stop alcohol then. I will eat right and sleep a lot. We're driving to Atlanta next Friday. It's time to get normal, focus, review the course video and see about an RBF meet up.

Hoo-ah.