Finally, everyone is safely in their 30s

I'll probably end up doing another 50 mile race, just because this week got busy so I didn't have much time to write a detailed account of my pre-race activities and immense suffering post race. Monday, I had to attend a meeting on running apparel (ok, that was actually awesome), Wednesday is my grad class (really, really not awesome) and Thursday I have reading night AND broomball. 

Clearly, Tuesday night was the only time I had available to do my important preparation for this weekend.

Pretty sure I'll never make it through the reaping without ugly-crying.

My coworker seemed really disappointed when she asked what I was going to eat the day before my big race and I was just like "uh, you know...the usual...basically the same stuff I would eat on any given day". But when you really love to eat carbs, it's really not necessary to "carb load". Alternately, you could say that I am carb-loading every day.

Pre-race, I had a meal many questioned, but I felt confident about. Pad Thai. It served me well.

It was actually an important dinner. My final BFF joined the rest of us in this glorious new decade (30s). I can finally officially declare that everyone in their 20s is dead to me now.

FYI, I enjoyed the crap out of the frosting on the top left for dessert.

I've already been here for 5 months, so finally I can stop cursing her out of jealousy. It's crazy though, because it feels like yesterday that I was pitying her for having months to wait while confidently handing over my legit over-21 ID. 

I did abstain from alcohol, but that was mainly because I had a 40 minute drive after dinner. Had I known I was going to drink during the race, I probably would have had some wine to relax at the hotel!

The night after the race, I really couldn't sleep because my legs were throbbing and no position seemed comfortable. Sunday morning, just walking to the bathroom took forever and seemed to require nearly the same level of effort as running the entire race itself.

However, once I left the hotel, I got an amazing bagel and made an important discovery: I was just a few miles from the newest Wegmans in Maryland. Clearly I went, and even better, they were doing all sorts of cheese samples. It was pretty close to heaven.

Walking all around Wegmans seemed to help. When I got home, I did some cooking to prepare for the week, and then walked two miles on the treadmill and foam rolled. I think resisting all my natural urges to spend the day glued to the couch really helped, because I slept great Sunday night and was walking completely normally Monday (even up and down stairs). I could barely even tell I ran a race at all!

The only issue is that my left ankle is being weird. It's really....tight...or something. It's not painful, but I feel the tightness when I try to flex my foot or curl my toes (but not when I put weight on it).

The trouble spot is under my thumb in case any doctors are reading.

It's not that big a deal, because I had originally planned to take a full week off running after the race (broomball excluded), no matter what. I didn't stick to that the last two years and I don't feel it was beneficial (and I'm positive it led to bronchitis in 2011). It probably isn't strictly necessary, but the worst case scenario is that I get some extra sleep and have time to watch The Hunger Games plus all the Catching Fire previews.

The weird part is that this is my left ankle. I rolled my right ankle twice during the race, really badly. I know I have the world's lowest pain tolerance but I was biting my hand and seriously struggling both times. Of course, that ankle has felt fine since the race. 

Internet friends, please diagnose me. Ashley has already declared tendonitis, and the definition she sent me sounds pretty accurate. I'm RICE-ing as much as possible!