It's official! I have a mascot!

Hey Everybody!!
I missed seeing and running with all of you these past weeks. There was a bunch I wanted to tell you, but I can't remember any of them now. I'll have to write fast because I spent so much time reading the blogs.
First I am ashamed to admit; I have not kept up with the schedule while I was away. Due to uncontrollable circumstances, I didn't have the resources or the time to run/exercise as I would have liked. (grovel, grovel...puppydog eyes...and a pout.) Am I forgiven?
I did get to run twice. Brief runs for no more than a mile and a half. Interestingly enough, as the Battalion I am attached to began to meander onto the adjacent road for our group run, I noticed that the Dependants of Permanent Personnel of the base were milling around perpetrating the look of exercise. I noticed a woman in the distance, head bobbing up and down along the horizon of heads in front of me. Something was in her hand. Focused on her, I weaved and sidestepped to see what occupied her attention and her hand. Soon the shuffling crowd parted and lo-and behold, there it was. I could swear I heard laughter, but later realized that was my ego. There, attached to that woman's hand was a leash. A leash attached to a Basset Hound! You have got to be kidding me! It's like those movies where the character refuses to admit to something obvious, no matter how many times it appears. I vowed at that moment, that if I saw another Basset Hound when I am going on a run, I would official claim it as my Mascot. Needlesstosay, I saw one - maybe the same one- two days later on another Battalion run. So it's official. Befitting actually. The little short, stubby body, waddling along, the loose skin rhythmically keeping the beat, and oddly helping the forward momentum.
That night after claiming my mascot, I got food poisoning. I didn't know I had all those extra orfices, but I digress.
So yesterday, I spent most of my time trying to remotivate myself and get my mind back on track. My body is rebelling. I feel like I am starting over - again. And the anxiety is getting to me. Usually by this point, I am quitting or finding an excuse to not continue. Now that I am aware of it, I know I must push past it. I'll have to add walking to my running until I can regain my stamina. Pray my alarm goes off on time, or else my quicksand will get deeper, and these thighs are heavy enough on their own.
HOUNDS R US!