Week 13 - Recap

Week 13:

Tuesday - 5 mile run

Wednesday - 5 mile run

Saturday - 19 mile long run

This week, I had all the odds against me.  For one, my groin muscle started hurting midweek.  I could not recall a specific instance of injury, but it was achy and sore.  As a result, my walk turned into a waddle.  In addition, my running pattern thus far had been: two weeks of good long runs followed by a bad one.  Unfortunately, this week I was due for a bad run and I dreaded the arrival of Saturday morning.  19 miles is really far to run - I did not need the additional handicaps of side-aches, stomachaches, puking, or heat exhaustion that I encountered in the past.  Lastly, the tropical haze gifted by Mother Nature made for less than ideal running conditions.  My favorite running weather is between 40 and 50 degrees and last week the temperatures were double that.  Who would scrape me off the side of the road when I melted into the asphalt?

Despite my negative attitude going into the long run, it turned out pleasantly well.  I set my alarm for 5 am, hit snooze twice, and then begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed.  I sipped a cup of coffee and fueled up with a chocolate chip Clif bar, while mentally cursing the early hour and hurt that was about to come.  The sun was just starting to make an appearance over the horizon when I headed out the door.  

Once I got outside and onto the trail, my outlook changed.  It was quiet and peaceful and I felt privy to the inner workings of the world.  Not even a mile into my run, I crossed paths with a fawn.  We made eye contact, silently acknowledged each other, and then she disappeared into the brush.  The birds chirped their morning melodies and provided the music for my run.  I was the only person on the trail and I felt like I was "behind-the-scenes" at some exhibit.  Mother Nature was putting on show and I had the best seat in the house.

The rest of the run was uneventful.  Everything in my mind and body seemed to "click" and I found a good groove.  I came across many other cyclists and runners and with each nod, wave, and hello we encouraged each other to keep going.  It wasn't until mile 16 that I started getting tired, but I told myself, "You've already ran 16 miles... what is three more?"  So I pushed through and finished the 19 miles with a time of 3 hours and 15 minutes.  

I hobbled back to my front door, achy, sore and wanting nothing more than to sit and a drink a cool glass of water...only to find that my fiancé had accidentally locked me out of the house.  As funny as it is now, it wasn't at that moment.  First thing Tuesday morning, you can guess who's buying herself a spare key!

... 5 more weeks to go!