First Long Run in Awhile

Remember when I got the flu after the 15K? Well, I missed a week of running, including a 24 Mile run.  The next week I ran 4 miles, and then got a scratchy throat that by the end of the week was strep throat, so I missed a 10 Mile run.  I finally got back to the gym and did a 3 mile run.

I was feeling decent (not 100%) so D and I decided we would go back to the Silver Comet for our last long run of 26 miles.  Friday night came and he was later than usual for dinner.  I was starving (we had no food in the house) which turned into a headache.  We went to get pizza and there was no parking spaces in sight.  I said "Fuck it," and we went home.  I found some left over potato soup, ate it, and went to bed.  4 hours later I was wide awake.  2 hours rolled by.  I bitched, said some shit and went to the guest room where I stayed up for another 4 hours. D said it was too cold and hot to run (it was 28 degrees to swing up to 53 by the time we would be done), and we decided to just run on Sunday.  So we did all of our Sunday errands on Saturday.

By 8PM I was ready to fall asleep, but managed to stay awake until 10.  I woke up again at 2, but told D I was turning on the TV. He went to the other room.  I was asleep by 245 and slept until the alarm went off.  We got ready ok.  Same routine as last time.  2 Clif Bars, 3 bottles of water.

We drove over to the Silver Comet.  We were the only ones there. It was 33 degrees.  We talked ourselves into staying, got all of our crap on, said good-bye to each other and took off.  Everything was fine except there was no one out.  It was incredibly desolate.  I tried not to wonder where some woman was kidnapped in murder a few years ago. I was pretty sure it wasn't between Miles 0 and 4 since they are the most traveled area.  I noticed the bridges were all icy.  I walked over them all.  Still nothing exciting.


Times :  15 miler 18 miler 22 miler 26 miler
Mile 1:   14:36    15:20    14:48       15:15
Mile 2:   15:07    15:43    15:42       14:24
Mile 3:   15:08    15:33    15:45       14:56
Mile 4:   14:56    16:06    16:01       14:22

I really couldn't remember how my pace was previously.  I knew I was going fast when I got to a Pearl Jam song at the beginning of Mile 4 instead of 4.5  I ate 2 Clif Shot Blocks.

Again, Miles 4-8 were more desolation.  I was amazed at how empty the lot was at the Depot at Mile 4. There were 4 cars.  The sun was coming out and I was pretty sure none of the rest of the bridges would be slipper.  I ate 2 Shot Blocks at Mile 6 and Mile 8.  The one thing I did notice is my heart rate was running at 171 most of the time which is high for my long runs. My legs felt heavy, and although the song told me I was running faster, I really felt like I wasn't moving.


Times :  15 miler 18 miler 22 miler 26 miler
Mile 5:   15:32    15:26     15:27    14:33
Mile 6:   15:33    15:28     15:05    14:56
Mile 7:   15:54    15:24     15:25    15:20
Mile 8:   15:57    15:57     15:38    14:49

After Mile 8 I noticed a few people and how tired I was. I had no clue why.  I switched over to the 4/1 routine from the 9/1.  I wondered where I had done this last run. I couldn't remember.  (TMI (sorry) I also noticed a feminine hygiene product didn't seem to be working, and I was pretty sure there was a leak).  Oh well.  Miles 9-11 seemed to be really hard.  Like turn around and go home hard.  But I hadn't past D at mile 9. I was beginning to worry that he was on the side of the road. so I still kept going.  I had a Hammer Gel at Mile 10. There was D.  I made a face at him.  He did a little dance.  It made me laugh.  Later, he said he was surprised to see me where he had.  He was expecting between Miles 11 and 12.  I had 2 Orange Clif Blocks at Mile 11. They are disgusting.  Taste like Licorice with a hint of orange. D thinks they are awesome.  I crossed Mile 11 and really thought about turning around... oh, Al, what is 2 more miles?  I kept going.  Finally Mile 12 came.


Times :  15 miler 18 miler 22 miler 26 miler
Mile 9:   16:36    15:56    15:49     16:17
Mile 10: 17:00    15:56    15:40     15:37
Mile 11: 17:12    16:14    16:02     16:12
Mile 12: 17:10    16:47    16:46     16:27

I thought Mile 13 would never arrive.  I ran into Paulding County.  My legs were in pain. My nether regions were sloshy. I tried not to think about it.  I turned around and did a little arm shake to congratulate myself that I only had 52 more laps (think around a track) to go.  Easy.  Except that while 12 laps seems like nothing in my head...20 seems insurmountable.  And well 40?  I didn't even want to think about 52.  Orange Clif Blocks are disgusting.  Just get to Mile 15, Al.  Slowly I focused.  A woman walking passed me.  Every minute that I walked (after 4 running) I would notice she was further away.  Bitch.  At Mile 14.5, I had another Hammer Gel.  I wasn't sure why, but I knew I was getting irrational, and decided that should help.  It really seemed that the 4/1 plan wasn't working. It seemed I was only "running" .15 miles in the 4 minutes.  My legs were in pain.  My HR was at 175.  "Come on, AL.  In 4 minutes you can walk.  You can go 4 minutes. " At 15 miles, I was so happy I only had 11 miles left.  I had more Shot Blocks. I really wished I had the Margarita Flavor.  I looked around and except for the dot the walker had become, there was no one around.  Nothing to look at. I hate trees.  Why did I sign up for this?  "Al, look how far you have come.  15 miles. You wanted to quit at 8, or was it 9?  Either way, you are doing this!"  Around Mile 15.6 my knee buckled  I didn't hurt anything, but it did scare me.  How would D get me?  What if I hurt it?  My legs hurt so badly.  Don't cry.   Finally Mile 16 came.  There was some extra walking in there. I also stopped, took off my Camelbak and got out my phone. I 4Squared where I was.  The McDonald's was near.


Times :  15 miler 18 miler 22 miler 26 miler
Mile 13: 17:43    17:31     16:40    16:24
Mile 14: 17:36    17:24     16:14    17:09
Mile 15: 16:22    16:57     16:37    17:12
Mile 16:              17:55     17:19    18:39

By this point I decided I was done.  There was no use torturing myself for 10 more miles. I was a bit confused however because my watch was saying I had almost 3 hours to get the 10 miles done (7 hours).  I could do that.  I was still walking and my other knee buckled.  I couldn't do that.  I tried to run a little.  That lasted all of 30 seconds, mostly because I never put my Camelbak on properly, and I was holding my phone.    I texted D I was going to the McDonald's and to call me when he finished his run.  I plodded to the Mile 9.2 mile marker and turned to go to the McD's.  I had no clue where I was.  I hoped D could find me.  My stomach hurt (Damn being a woman).  Finally I got there and bought a Diet Coke and waited about 10 minutes for D to call.  We figured out the address and he mapquested it.  About another 20 minutes went by and he was there to pick me up.  We mapquested our home address and went home. (The .8 miles was 24:57... it was shorter, but I forgot to turn off the watch when I got to McD's.).
Overall: 16.8 miles in 4:32:23

Things to ponder:
I was feeling a bit lousy.  But D said it was huge to have pushed myself for 8-9 miles while playing head games.  Neither of us know if my period played a factor in the lousy run.  D says yes, considering on the first day, my blood pressure plummets to the point I have trouble walking without passing out (this wasn't the first day, but the 3rd...again sorry, TMI).  I was running significantly faster than I normally run long runs and I probably need to slow down to last the full 26..  Don't use Orange Shot Blocks.  Some days you just have lousy runs.