Love Messages ad nauseam

I've learned that during my LONG runs, (anything more than a half-marathon) my Jeff-Galloway-walking-breaks are vital.  If I neglect them during the first hour, then around miles 14-15 my calves start to cramp up.  When that happens it's like running on painful wooden stumps.  Till now, I've been using a stopwatch to remind me to stop and walk.  I could hear the beep of the watch because I wasn't plugged into my iPod.  And I wasn't plugged in because I was with FRP.

However, FRP and I have mutually decided that, during the marathon, we will not run together.  She is faster than I and doesn't espouse as many walking breaks as I do.  So no doubt she'll leave me behind early on.  And I hope she does.  She has agreed NOT to wait for me, and I have agreed NOT to stop if I find her dying on the side of the road.  "Just keep going!" she says.  I'll get there!!"

But here's the dilemma.  Since running without FRP means I will be plugged into my iPod on the Big Day, how will I hear the beeps?  (No, my music is not THAT loud.  The stopwatch is just really quiet.)  During the LAST half of the run, Sheer Exhaustion is also a helpful reminder, but Galloway stresses that it's in the early miles when the breaks are the most important.  Then Dear Husband came to the rescue with a solution.  Via something called "Garage Band" on our Mac, he recorded his voice telling me to stop and walk .... in an endearing just-between-him-and-me way.  Then I duplicated it a gazillion times and spliced it into my playlist.  How smart is that!?!

So by the end of the marathon, I will either be all the more in love with him for his thoughtful and blessed life-saving reminders to walk, or I'll be sick to DEATH of his voice/message repeating over and over and over and over .....  I'm kind of afraid it will be the latter.

But who cares?  Time heals all and by then the run will be DONE.