"Only" 20 Miles

So, on Friday, D and I were scheduled to run 24 miles.  I know some trainers think you shouldn't run more than 20 miles.  For me, I want to run more, because I don't know if I have a mental block.  Like in all runs over 10 miles...I have a terrible mental block between Mile 9 and 10.  I have no idea what it is about, but I have to fight my brain to get through that space.

But anyway, it was a gorgeous day.  There was a nice breeze.  The trail was a bit boring.  And truthfully, so was the run.  Because let's face it, running a long run by yourself is boring.  And I mentioned we were running on Friday, so the trail was empty (we had Beer Festival Plans for Saturday).  I struggled through Mile 9 and hit my first hill at Mile 11.  A couple of times I thought of turning back sooner and finishing the run somewhere else (don't ask me where...).  At Mile 11, I also saw a restroom and water fountain. I didn't stop.  Between Mile 12 and 13, that rest stop is all I thought about.  My shoes were shot (over 400 miles), but I hadn't broke my new shoes in yet, so the old ones...I knew I needed a Body Glide Break on them.  So at Mile 13 I stopped and fixed myself up.*

*Somewhere at Mile 12, my HRM said I had no heart rate.  Right beside a school.  Not thinking, I whipped my shirt up and adjusted and spit on everything, and got it going.  A guy going the other day, gently reminded me I was in a Public Park by a school.  So think before you do that.  Just sayin'.

Me, Body-Glided, and Rest-Stopped!

So I resumed my run.  I actually felt really good.  Until Mile 17.  My hip started talking.  I started paying attention to my watch and distance.  I told myself to ignore it.  It started hurting more.  I had no Advil.  Hmmm.  I had 3 miles to the next stop that D could get me at, or 7 to where he actually was.  Hmmm.  I got to Mile 18, and my hip, knee and butt let me know they were alive.  On my walk breaks, I could tell I was slightly hobbling. I decided to stretch.  Still screaming leg.  My brain and I were fighting.  I was now walking everything.  I finally decided that at Mile 19, I would sit down and call D and ask him to pick me up with 20 miles done instead of 24. We were 3 weeks from the marathon.  If it hurt in the marathon, I would push it.  But right now, it would do more damage than anything to be stubborn.  I texted him and let him know that it hurt, but I was ok.  I just needed him to pick me up.  And that I was in a good mood.  I told him I'd see him in 20 minutes.  I resumed the walk.  I tried running twice. The first time, I thought that maybe I should call him back.  But the second one, I decided to go with my decision to call it quits.

Me at Mile 19, calling D

Later I looked at my pace.  For 18 Miles is was 16:15 and for 20 it was 16:45.  It actually was a good run.

Red Brick Hoplanta- To 20 Miles

But this is where the "only" comes in.  I kept telling people I "only" ran 20 miles.  Sunday, my friend ran the Marine Corps Marathon.  I don't know why he stopped (swept, injured, etc....I didn't ask), but he put, "I "only" ran 18 miles."  Then on FB a friend who has had surgery and is getting back to walking put, "I "only" walked 1.5 miles."  And then on Monday, a co-worker told me, "Well, unlike you, I "only" ran" a 5K."  Clearly, "only" needs to be removed from these sentences.  We "only" got up, exercised and tried to be healthier.  Why are we dismissing our achievements?  Could any of us do these things a month or 2 ago?  No.  While it is easy to not go out and exercise, we have to remember not to dismiss our achievements when we do.  Other people shouldn't be pointing out our achievements.  We should be standing with our heads high, yelling from the roof tops.

I'm in taper mode this week.  I still have pain in my hip, but I also need to break in these new shoes.  Yesterday, I "only" ran 2 miles, walked 1 and stretched a ton.  And I'm proud of trying to take care of this hip.