Grinding the gear...

HP03 has entered the taper phase of her marathon training. While it is indeed and exciting phase, it is also a little nerve-racking because the feeling of accomplishing the long distance run is getting further and further away. For that reason, HP03 and SB will not be tapering too much. This weekend they ran 18. And, after the 5k on Saturday, HP03 will head out for her last 18-20 on Sunday.

This weekend was...not pretty and when I say pretty, I mean pink bows and kitty cats pretty. It began with the gear. HP03 tried, yet again, to rock the Nike Tempo Track short, aka her "bring on the body glide bottoms." Despite the fact that she lubed up the front of her thighs (learning from the chafe incident after the half marathon), HP03, around mile 13, still felt the burn. To protect herself, she "smartly" tucked her shorts into her underwear to move the perpetrating chaff-short into a different position. But wait, it gets hotter. As the team knows, HP03 has been recovering from a head/chest cold. What the team doesn't know is that running in the chilly weather generally makes HP03's nose run. Her Sunday afternoon run was 18 miles of beautiful, autumn briskness, which resulted in much spitting and really snotty shirt sleeves. Hot.

After the gnarly gear weekend run (which on a fitness level felt great, except for the landmine/rock that rolled HP03's left ankle on the National Mall) HP03 dropped $90 bucks at NikeTown.com on two items and expedited shipping. F shipping costs. Damn. Anyway, those are the new shorts. They have that dorky (but hopefully fashionable Nike interpretation) high side slit (to skip the chafe) and that's the new hot pink tissue, I mean shirt that HP03 may have to rock over her tankini at the marathon for the cool weather.

She went with HOT pink over, say black or white, for her fan base on race day. Sure, I'll sign your boob.

Lastly, HP03 is thinking the socks might be a nice way to tie it all together...