12 Miles and Still Standing

This week was very trying training-wise.  I was travelling, which included standing 7-9 hours a day in steel toes on a concrete floor.  It started ok.  I ran 5 miles before getting on a plane.  It was a painful 5 miles. I didn't want to do it.  I have grown tired of running 5 miles.  I don't like the distance.

Anyway, I finished it, packed and left for the trip.  The next day I got up and went running on the Hampton Inn Treadmill that I don't ever think has been serviced.  It was hot in the room and again I wanted to quit.  But I toughed it out.  Then went to work.  By 5 my legs were like jelly and I was leaning on any cart or table I could find.  Even going to dinner made my legs hurt.

Thursday, I got up and my hip was in dire hip pain.  I hit the Advil and skipped the gym.  After work, the boss and I drove 2 hours back to the airport and I caught a flight back.

Friday, I stretched every hour and was still heavy on the Advil.  I was worried about 12 miles.  My friend was giving me a hard time, which I told her I would listen to my body and go from there.

Saturday at 3AM, McMenamin and Scuttlebutt decided to play. D and I aren't happy about this new development they have decided to make a hobby.  We finally got up and moving around 7. Of course, both pups were sleeping.  D walked them while I ate breakfast, got dressed and shuffled around the house.  Neither of us were into 12 miles.  Still we packed Gatorade and decided to take one car to the Silver Comet Trail.  We got there around 845. Parked and walked to the trail.  D took the keys and we were off.

I didn't see D after about 2 minutes.  I ran my 9:1 thing. I decided I would do that until my times started going up. I noticed lately I've been paying attention to keeping time whereas last year, I was focused on finishing.  Yesterday, I focused on the first 2 digits to be 14 at each mile.  I would switch when the miles started getting longer.  The first 2 miles were hard. I couldn't find a tempo to run at.  But both miles were in the 14s.  Mile 3 was also 14 something.  I got to Mile 4 and the bike depot.  Mile was 13... Whoa. I knew I would see D soon.  He was returning when I was at mile 4.7.  Damn, he was fast.  I was very confused at Mile 5.  12 something.  I got back into Mile 6 at 14.  Better.  I was worried about getting tired at Mile 10.

This course is fairly flat, so I wasn't really straining myself.  Still my watch must be broken was all I was thinking.  I got to Mile 7.  13.  Mile 8. 13.  I was really getting confused.  A.) I wasn't tired.  B.) My pace was definitely going to be faster.  As I ran through Mile 9, I started wondering when I was going to hit the Mile 10 wall.  I got to Mile 10.3, and was still feeling ok.  I decided that I wasn't going to hit that wall.  And I was wondering if I should not drink something while I do my half-marathon.  Last year, my stomach knotted up.  On my long runs, I'm not drinking anything during.  I wonder if that keeps my stomach ok.  This all got me to Mile 11.  The rest of the run seemed really long. Mostly because there are mile markers at .9, .6 and .3.  When I finished, I still had a ways to walk.  And I did.

D met me at mile .1 marker with Gatorade.  I still felt really strong.  He had been waiting for less than an hour.  He said his run was uneventful.

Afterwards we went and got pizza and beer.  :)

12 Mile Comparison: 2010 and 2011
                2010                          2011
Mile 1:    13:48                           14:14
Mile 2:    14:19                           14:19
Mile 3:    14:31                           14:02
Mile 4:    14:36                           13:35
Mile 5:    14:21                           12:54
Mile 6:    15:28                           14:22
Mile 7:    16:05                           13:52
Mile 8:    15:17                           13:59
Mile 9:    16:09                           13:37
Mile 10:  16:17                           13:20
Mile 11:  18:04                           13:52
Mile 12:  18:03                           14:05
Total:      3:07:03 (15:35/mi)      2:46:14 (13:51/mi)