Afraid to pee

Oh, the bathroom habits of runners. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to making sure I'm cleared out before I head outside for a training run. A run can be ruined pretty quickly if you need a restroom and there's none available.

And nothing causes me more pre-race anxiety than long lines at the port-o-potties at the starting line of a race. There was one time I didn't get to "go" before the starting gun sounded: the George Washington Bridge 10k. Now, I know it doesn't usually matter if you start with the gun - most races give you a timing chip so that you know your exact time from when you cross the start to when you cross the finish - but I was getting really worried about getting stuck behind the walkers. So instead of intelligently and patiently waiting for a restroom to open up, I left my spot in line to go run the race. And - thankfully - I was actually able to make it the hour, no problem.

But here's where I think the bathroom OCD started for me: the Philadelphia Rock and Roll Half. My final time was 2:02... just under two minutes behind my first half marathon time of 2:00:53. 

The key difference? I had to stop for the bathroom around mile 10. I was in and out really quickly, but then I went to wash my hands and there was a little girl taking FOREVER at the only sink available. 

I was like "Kid, you are about 3 seconds away from being thrown back onto the race course." Seriously. Damn my need to be hygienic. 

It may have been the thing that kept me from a PR. Maybe even a sub 2?

In related news, I came home from running errands yesterday afternoon to find that my husband had installed this:

That, my friends, is a toilet that apparently comes with a remote control and instructions.

So here's the deal - in 2009, my husband and I had the good fortune of being able to travel the world. Along the way, Ben fell in love with Japanese toilets. Heated seats. His/hers bidet. Dryers. Some even came with a button that would give you the "flushing" noise without actually flushing the toilet. When I inquired as to the utility of such a function, I was informed that it could help you be more discreet about your bathroom activities.

You know, as if nobody can really guess what you're doing in there.

So Ben finally found a way to bring that experience to our humble home. But it's going to take some getting used to. I mean... look at all of these features:

I am NEVER touching that Vortex button.

Intimidating, no? 

So now I have even more bathroom anxiety. 

But at least I can feel good about saving some TP.

Today's exercise: 5k

M1: 16:20

M2: 15:55

M3: 16:27