(Here I am before the run. I'm really not sure about this one...)
I mapped out a nice trek starting at my house and running along back roads to Jacki's house. What I asked her if I could run to her house she even offered to bring me water, my reflective vest and headlamp when it was getting dark.
The weather during the day was mild (it got up to 60!) and I was really psyching myself up to do the run. Right before I started out at about 5:45PM it started to mist and rain lightly. Jacki offered to pick me up if I was too wet and wanted to continue on the treadmill at home. So I set out. By this time it was about 45 out. I was hoping it would be a bit warmer. Ah well, such is running in the early Spring outside!
I packed a two 8oz of water, a chocolate brownie Larabar and some salted mixed nuts (also complements of Jacki -to try something new).
The first couple of miles felt like torture. I almost turned back, but I just couldn't. I felt really heavy and discouraged. All the sudden I had gone 3 then 6 miles! I held a nice 11 minute/mile pace. I stopped after 3, 6, and 9 miles to have a small bite of the Larabar or the nuts and little drinks of water.
I kept thinking about how awesome my post was going to be about my amazing outdoor 16 mile run through the country. I would snap a great pic of my smiling face on Jacki's porch and slap that into my blog.
I also had a list in my head of the animals I saw while out running. I saw: ducks, geese, turkeys, and a deer.
After the 9 mile stop Jacki showed up with my gear and I topped off my water bottles. It was hard to get going again, but I kept up the pace. I started to get pretty cold after the sun went down, even though it was overcast to begin with. I kept up the 11 minute/mile pace until I got to 12 miles. When I stopped to walk while I had a snack I was pretty whipped. It was really dark at this point and (wouldn't you know it) my headlamp stopped working. All I had was the red safety lamp. I was starting to get really stiff at this point and it was VERY hard to get going again.
I walked again at 13 miles and I started to cry. Oh my, I was only at the halfway distance of the marathon... I am going to be in a world of hurt at the real marathon. Thankfully I pulled it together and started running again, in the dark and the rain. I was much slower at this point. It was harder and harder to get my legs to keep moving. It wasn't even easier to walk. I don't remember at what distance Jacki met up with me to run me back to her house. (BLESS HER FOR DOING THIS! I think otherwise I would have been limp-walking myself to her house in the cold rain- it was about 35 by this time, while crying the whole way) The end of the run was not fun AT ALL and poor Jacki had to "run" with me back to her house. I think I was pulling 12+min/mile times at this point, maybe more from all the walk breaks.
I was in a lot of pain, not just in my legs, but my entire body. I think I was cold and all of my muscles started to cramp. I felt like when you have the flu and your whole body hurts from the fever, but I was frozen instead. It felt like I had labor pains in my lower back. I couldn't really feel my hands and fingers by the end. I'm not really good at gauging what to wear when it's raining. I need a waterproof shell. I think that would have helped a lot.
By the time we got to Jacki's I dragged myself into her car and we set off for my house. My legs were very uncomfortable on the ride home. I didn't get that triumphant picture of myself. Instead I was too miserable to care about pictures or my blog.
Amazingly I was not sick at all while I was out running. I started to feel nauseated at the end, but I made it home before I threw up...Sigh. I am starting to realize that nothing seems to leave my stomach once I start running, so I think I'm nauseated because I'm so full. On the upside I don't feel like I need to urinate at all while out running! HA! I think the Larabar and nuts were a hit so I'm planning on packing them again for long runs. I had also taken special care during the day to eat a very bland diet (no dairy) of oatmeal, smoothie, quinoa patty, plain brown rice cakes with natural peanut butter and cream of wheat with honey.
I felt pretty awful after the run, but by 2 in the morning I felt pretty good and I was only minimally sore in my calves the next day. It's amazing how well your body can recover from such intense activity!
I'm almost there! I have only two really longs runs left before the taper begins. This makes me very happy and very nervous. This weekend I only have to run 12! YAY then it's 18 the next weekend. I'm hoping for good things. Hopefully it won't be raining and cold and I will do better. I'm hoping that the weather was at least partially to blame for my dramatic fall off and misery after 12 miles this past week.
Cheers all! Thank you for reading!
Can you believe it's only about 6 weeks away? you've already completely 12 weeks of training! Eek!
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