Anatomy of a long run

6:30 - Wake up, reluctantly, to my child yelling "Mama! Mama!" Stand up, and ow. Who whacked my left calf with a crowbar?

7:00 - Coffee. The first of two giant mugs.

7:15 - Second of two giant mugs.

8:45 - Bundle up Bini and Dad, who are going to play outside. "We'll be back at 11," says Steve. "I'll be running," I say.

9:00 - Sit in front of computer. Read news. Look at weather report. It's raining.

9:30 - Google "sore calf."

10:00 - Laundry.

10:15 - Two tablespoons of peanut butter. Because, eventually, I'll go running and will need the protein.

10:30 - Read newspaper.

11:00 - Steve and Bini come home. I'm still in my pajamas. Steve looks quizzically at me, but doesn't say anything.

11:20 - Eat 3 Shot Blocks and a handful of pecans. Dress in running clothes. Load last week's "This American Life" onto iPod. Fill water bottle. Take ibuprofen.

11:35 - Start running. Painfully.

11:40 - Calf is OK, but man, the bottoms of my feet feel like orange pulp.

11:50 - Thank God for Ira Glass. The podcast, about guns and gun owners, is interesting enough to distract me from my sore feet.

12:00 - Well, almost interesting enough.

12:15 - Run into Heather, one of my mom's group running buddies, and her cute little girl.

12:25 - Five-mile mark. I stop, eat the remaining 3 Shot Blocks. Along the path there's one of those mega-church places. A few people look at me as I jog past. I think they're judging me.

12:30 - Switch to music. Feeling good.

12:40 - Jeff Buckley song triggers fond memories. Reminisce.

12:50 - I have to work hard to keep my pace at 11:45. I keep wanting to run faster, but the training plan says to go slow, or else. But at this rate, it'll be dinner time before I eat lunch.

1:10 - Sky is darkening, and I'm listening to "Digital," by Joy Division. Feel rebellious.

1:20 - Done. Hobble through the back gate, through the yard and into the house. I catch sight of myself in the hall mirror. Yikes.