After getting home from Walt Disney World and having to become an adult again and go to work...
I worked all day, trying to get back in the groove. I was still feeling proud of myself. I took my medal with me and wore the t-shirt I bought with the Disney Princess Half Marathon emblem on it. I got to brag a little, so it kept me feeling great. To think that 1 year ago today, there was no chance I could run a half-marathon is hard to grasp. But I did it.
After suiting up and heading out, my husband and I ran most of the way together. He was trying to work on his form and running with more of a mid-foot strike. He did pretty well with it and can't wait for his new shoes to come in the shop. We ran about 3 miles tonight and it felt great!
Subscribe to posts
Posts
All Comments
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Disney Princess Half Marathon! 13.1 miles
Wow. This day finally arrived. For months I have trained for this particular race. I doubted I could do this race even when I registered. In June, I couldn't run 1/2 a mile without stopping. Today, I ran almost the entire 13.1 miles. Wow.
I woke up at 2:30 am in our room at the Wilderness Lodge. Luckily, the family with the screaming child next to us left during the day, so we didn't have to try to fall asleep with wailing next door. I still had a hard time sleeping, partly because I was excited, partly because I was nervous. My goal was to be at the front of the hotel at 3:00 to catch the first bus to the race. I made it, but then the bus waited for 20 minutes "to fill up" before heading out! I still got there in time, but felt a little more rushed.
I had a ticket to the Race Retreat along with one of my other friends, Shelly, so I headed in and relaxed. I ate a bagel with peanut butter and had coffee and water while I waited for her to arrive. The Retreat was nice--it had food and drinks, private porta-potties with water to wash up, a padded stretching area, and extra amenities for after the race. Shelly arrived, so we stretched, hit the potties, and headed out. Our third friend, Tammy, was already at the corral, so we headed there. I was placed in E corral, but I jumped back to be with my friends in the G corral. The amount of people was staggering. We walked for quite a while before even getting to the corral. Once there, we stood, talked, took photos, and watched the other corrals start. There was a chance of rain, but luckily, it didn't. It wasn't too cold, so I was ok without a jacket or pants. What a surprise, coming from this always cold girl! Each corral had the Fairy Godmother waving fairy dust over the crowd and fireworks at the start. It was quite exciting! Once we began, we moved to the left so we could have our picture taken and to run in front of the video camera.
The course was pretty crowded and became even more so when the course got smaller at different parts. Since it was humid, they had plenty of water and Powerade stops along the way. My two friends and I kept together pretty well, even though it was more difficult in the crowded sections. I knew there was going to be over 20,000 people, but imagining how the run would be with that many people and actually running it are two different things. We had to run at a slower pace than we had planned because we had to weave around slower runners and walkers. My friends truly should have started in a higher corral, but didn't have times to place them there.
Along the route there were several stops for taking your picture with characters, but all the stops had very long lines. We discussed it while running and decided that wasn't something we really had to do in this race. Disney also had large mile markers, and I took photos of mile 1, 2, & 3, but then I really didn't see the markers after that. I must have just been oblivious or something, because they were there! There was a timing pad at the 5K and 10K points that took our time as we crossed. At one point, the first couple of runners that were waaaaay ahead of us, passed on the opposite side of the road. You could hear the ripple of applause and cheers from the runners on my side of the road that became louder as it reached me. What an uplifting thing to see, hear, and experience. Runners who were at least an hour behind were happily cheering on the fast runners. It restored my faith in humanity a bit. And it really motivated me to be one of the cheering runners. I also hooted and hollered as they passed. I hooted and hollered when we were half way. I hooted and hollered when we reached the 10 mile point--"Only 3.1 miles left! WooHoo!" I hooted and hollered when we ran up the on-ramp uphill. Which, by the way, is pretty small compared to some of the hills in my neighborhood--yay!
My husband was a part of the "Chear" squad, and Disney had two locations where I could hopefully see him. He stayed and watched our corral start, then headed to the 5.3 or 5.7 mark. I kept waiting for the "Chear" squad to appear, and my friends asked what color shirt Chris was wearing so they could help look for him. I couldn't remember, and told them his jacket was bright orange, but knew he would take it off due to the heat. When we came out of the castle (a very cool moment by the way) I noticed the "Chear" squad and giggling, told my friends that he was wearing a blue "Chear" shirt....like the multitude of other "Chear" squad members congregated there! I frantically looked for him--the photographers actually got a great shot of me running with my eyes off in the distance---and caught sight of him as I was turning the corner. I smiled, blew him a kiss, and waved and trotted off to catch up with my friends. He is and always has been my greatest supporter. I am so glad he was there to cheer (um...chear) me on!
Shelly was in a little pain with her constantly aching knee. The three of us kept pace for the first half of the route. She said she was going to start walking at 8 miles, but we cheered her on and she ran to 8.7 where we got the Clif gels, then to the water station, but then she told us to run on without her at the 10 mile point. I really hated to leave her, but her running buddy Tammy said, "When she tells me three times, I know she means it." The two of us went on and actually the Shelly kept close behind us, catching up when we stopped at the BioFreeze table briefly.
The final miles of the run were the hardest. We had to weave in and out more (it seemed) than before. But, the worst was at the 12 mile point and after. We ran on a back lot road where there were characters in front of a sparkly castle float and then towards Epcot. I began to get chilled, which was unusual since it was close to 80 degrees if not warmer. It was also humid. I realized that I was probably hitting my limit and my body was beginning to protest. But I was not going to stop or slow down. Instead, I actually picked up my pace. Tammy told me later that I "took off". Luckily, she kept up with me. I started my iPod music so I would be motivated to continue. I remember hearing "Wagonwheel" by Darius Rucker; I just began smiling and singing. Turning the corner and seeing the actual finish line was an unbelievable sight. Months of pain, freezing runs, hot runs, sore muscles, breathing issues, and fun all brought me to this point. I was actually going to finish a half-marathon. Before I turned 50. Before I became a grandmother. Without a major injury. It was really happening!
Tammy and I began our journey to being healthy together over 30 years ago, and we finished this running journey together. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I neared the finish, and I turned to her and grabbed her hand. As we crossed, we raised our hands above our heads. We did it! Less than two minutes later, Shelly also crossed the finish. As I crossed the finish, we were told to move along, but there was a little commotion behind us. My friend turned and said, "Barb, you dropped your camera!" I checked my arm band (that had been zipped up, I thought) and sure enough, the camera was missing. We told the volunteer about it, and at that point a runner behind us dressed in yellow brought it to me. This wonderful person must have seen it fall from my outstretched arm, stopped at the finish line to pick it up, and brought it to me! I thanked her profusely and we headed on.
While Tammy and I were waiting in line for photos Shelly joined us, then we found my husband, Chris. Shelly and I headed into the Race Retreat since our tickets were for before and after the race. We were given a printed Princess towel, Princess flip flops, a drink ticket and then we sat down so she could ice her knee. I grabbed us both drinks and we had some breakfast and relaxed. When we headed out, we used one of the provided computers to check and print our final times. I finished under three hours, my secret goal! I didn't know my actual finish time until then since with my camera drama I forgot to stop my watch! The final goodies we received were a tube of hand lotion and energy bars to go with the boxed goodies all runners received.
I am so happy I committed to do this. I had a blast and am extremely proud of myself. I set a goal and achieved it.
Next up...Disneyland Half Marathon in September! And my husband is doing it with me!
I woke up at 2:30 am in our room at the Wilderness Lodge. Luckily, the family with the screaming child next to us left during the day, so we didn't have to try to fall asleep with wailing next door. I still had a hard time sleeping, partly because I was excited, partly because I was nervous. My goal was to be at the front of the hotel at 3:00 to catch the first bus to the race. I made it, but then the bus waited for 20 minutes "to fill up" before heading out! I still got there in time, but felt a little more rushed.
I had a ticket to the Race Retreat along with one of my other friends, Shelly, so I headed in and relaxed. I ate a bagel with peanut butter and had coffee and water while I waited for her to arrive. The Retreat was nice--it had food and drinks, private porta-potties with water to wash up, a padded stretching area, and extra amenities for after the race. Shelly arrived, so we stretched, hit the potties, and headed out. Our third friend, Tammy, was already at the corral, so we headed there. I was placed in E corral, but I jumped back to be with my friends in the G corral. The amount of people was staggering. We walked for quite a while before even getting to the corral. Once there, we stood, talked, took photos, and watched the other corrals start. There was a chance of rain, but luckily, it didn't. It wasn't too cold, so I was ok without a jacket or pants. What a surprise, coming from this always cold girl! Each corral had the Fairy Godmother waving fairy dust over the crowd and fireworks at the start. It was quite exciting! Once we began, we moved to the left so we could have our picture taken and to run in front of the video camera.
The course was pretty crowded and became even more so when the course got smaller at different parts. Since it was humid, they had plenty of water and Powerade stops along the way. My two friends and I kept together pretty well, even though it was more difficult in the crowded sections. I knew there was going to be over 20,000 people, but imagining how the run would be with that many people and actually running it are two different things. We had to run at a slower pace than we had planned because we had to weave around slower runners and walkers. My friends truly should have started in a higher corral, but didn't have times to place them there.
Along the route there were several stops for taking your picture with characters, but all the stops had very long lines. We discussed it while running and decided that wasn't something we really had to do in this race. Disney also had large mile markers, and I took photos of mile 1, 2, & 3, but then I really didn't see the markers after that. I must have just been oblivious or something, because they were there! There was a timing pad at the 5K and 10K points that took our time as we crossed. At one point, the first couple of runners that were waaaaay ahead of us, passed on the opposite side of the road. You could hear the ripple of applause and cheers from the runners on my side of the road that became louder as it reached me. What an uplifting thing to see, hear, and experience. Runners who were at least an hour behind were happily cheering on the fast runners. It restored my faith in humanity a bit. And it really motivated me to be one of the cheering runners. I also hooted and hollered as they passed. I hooted and hollered when we were half way. I hooted and hollered when we reached the 10 mile point--"Only 3.1 miles left! WooHoo!" I hooted and hollered when we ran up the on-ramp uphill. Which, by the way, is pretty small compared to some of the hills in my neighborhood--yay!
My husband was a part of the "Chear" squad, and Disney had two locations where I could hopefully see him. He stayed and watched our corral start, then headed to the 5.3 or 5.7 mark. I kept waiting for the "Chear" squad to appear, and my friends asked what color shirt Chris was wearing so they could help look for him. I couldn't remember, and told them his jacket was bright orange, but knew he would take it off due to the heat. When we came out of the castle (a very cool moment by the way) I noticed the "Chear" squad and giggling, told my friends that he was wearing a blue "Chear" shirt....like the multitude of other "Chear" squad members congregated there! I frantically looked for him--the photographers actually got a great shot of me running with my eyes off in the distance---and caught sight of him as I was turning the corner. I smiled, blew him a kiss, and waved and trotted off to catch up with my friends. He is and always has been my greatest supporter. I am so glad he was there to cheer (um...chear) me on!
Shelly was in a little pain with her constantly aching knee. The three of us kept pace for the first half of the route. She said she was going to start walking at 8 miles, but we cheered her on and she ran to 8.7 where we got the Clif gels, then to the water station, but then she told us to run on without her at the 10 mile point. I really hated to leave her, but her running buddy Tammy said, "When she tells me three times, I know she means it." The two of us went on and actually the Shelly kept close behind us, catching up when we stopped at the BioFreeze table briefly.
The final miles of the run were the hardest. We had to weave in and out more (it seemed) than before. But, the worst was at the 12 mile point and after. We ran on a back lot road where there were characters in front of a sparkly castle float and then towards Epcot. I began to get chilled, which was unusual since it was close to 80 degrees if not warmer. It was also humid. I realized that I was probably hitting my limit and my body was beginning to protest. But I was not going to stop or slow down. Instead, I actually picked up my pace. Tammy told me later that I "took off". Luckily, she kept up with me. I started my iPod music so I would be motivated to continue. I remember hearing "Wagonwheel" by Darius Rucker; I just began smiling and singing. Turning the corner and seeing the actual finish line was an unbelievable sight. Months of pain, freezing runs, hot runs, sore muscles, breathing issues, and fun all brought me to this point. I was actually going to finish a half-marathon. Before I turned 50. Before I became a grandmother. Without a major injury. It was really happening!
Tammy and I began our journey to being healthy together over 30 years ago, and we finished this running journey together. Tears began to well up in my eyes as I neared the finish, and I turned to her and grabbed her hand. As we crossed, we raised our hands above our heads. We did it! Less than two minutes later, Shelly also crossed the finish. As I crossed the finish, we were told to move along, but there was a little commotion behind us. My friend turned and said, "Barb, you dropped your camera!" I checked my arm band (that had been zipped up, I thought) and sure enough, the camera was missing. We told the volunteer about it, and at that point a runner behind us dressed in yellow brought it to me. This wonderful person must have seen it fall from my outstretched arm, stopped at the finish line to pick it up, and brought it to me! I thanked her profusely and we headed on.
While Tammy and I were waiting in line for photos Shelly joined us, then we found my husband, Chris. Shelly and I headed into the Race Retreat since our tickets were for before and after the race. We were given a printed Princess towel, Princess flip flops, a drink ticket and then we sat down so she could ice her knee. I grabbed us both drinks and we had some breakfast and relaxed. When we headed out, we used one of the provided computers to check and print our final times. I finished under three hours, my secret goal! I didn't know my actual finish time until then since with my camera drama I forgot to stop my watch! The final goodies we received were a tube of hand lotion and energy bars to go with the boxed goodies all runners received.
I am so happy I committed to do this. I had a blast and am extremely proud of myself. I set a goal and achieved it.
Next up...Disneyland Half Marathon in September! And my husband is doing it with me!
Monday, February 18, 2013
3.7 miles~~only 5 days until Disney Half Marathon!
Today my husband had off for President's Day, but I worked as a make-up day for a snow day. I headed home and got ready to run. We were going to run this weekend, but the wind was blowing and the wind chill left it at 19 degrees! So, instead we ran today. It was closer to 40 degrees, and no where as windy as yesterday. I still wore my Buff face cover, which was lucky, because the wind did blow a bit, enough to make my breathing catch and concern me. But it wasn't too windy and cold luckily. I felt really good running, and was able to concentrate on my form and enjoying the run.
I have been a bit nervous on my last couple of runs. First, because I really pulled my calves on my almost 14 mile run, I've been trying to speed their recovery and not cause more strain or damage. Secondly, I've been nervous because I didn't want to fall, injury anything else, or do anything that might jeopardize my upcoming Disney Half-Marathon. After all the training and miles that I have logged, it would be horrible to be hurt or unable to run for whatever reason. Luckily, my run tonight was great! I felt good, I ran well, my breathing was good...and I didn't fall!
It is hard to believe that in less than a week, I will have completed my very first half-marathon. I've been running for over a year, and training for the last six months. I hope I can savor the days and experiences and not become too stressed or tired. Wow...it is almost here!
I have been a bit nervous on my last couple of runs. First, because I really pulled my calves on my almost 14 mile run, I've been trying to speed their recovery and not cause more strain or damage. Secondly, I've been nervous because I didn't want to fall, injury anything else, or do anything that might jeopardize my upcoming Disney Half-Marathon. After all the training and miles that I have logged, it would be horrible to be hurt or unable to run for whatever reason. Luckily, my run tonight was great! I felt good, I ran well, my breathing was good...and I didn't fall!
It is hard to believe that in less than a week, I will have completed my very first half-marathon. I've been running for over a year, and training for the last six months. I hope I can savor the days and experiences and not become too stressed or tired. Wow...it is almost here!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
3.2 miles~~easy run
Somehow I forgot to log this run, so I don't really remember much about it. This was the last run before my big race / event. I ran 3.2 miles at home averaging 11.47 per mile. My biggest worry the past few runs has been falling and hurting or injuring my self or pulling a muscle or something. Luckily, I made it through this last pre-race training and didn't do anything silly.
I also had to finish my running outfit this week. I've worked long and hard on designing a Snow White outfit that wouldn't itch, or irritate, or chafe. I am the type of person who has to research (blogs and Pinterest as well as sewing sites) and think and rethink how to create the best product. My daughter gave me a beautiful blue tech running shirt that I took in a bit, added a yellow center stripe & Snow White sleeves, and hemmed to a center point hem. I designed a yellow satin skirt and made yellow running shorts to complete the outfit. I will add a link on the side with the directions and photos of how to make the look.
I also had to finish my running outfit this week. I've worked long and hard on designing a Snow White outfit that wouldn't itch, or irritate, or chafe. I am the type of person who has to research (blogs and Pinterest as well as sewing sites) and think and rethink how to create the best product. My daughter gave me a beautiful blue tech running shirt that I took in a bit, added a yellow center stripe & Snow White sleeves, and hemmed to a center point hem. I designed a yellow satin skirt and made yellow running shorts to complete the outfit. I will add a link on the side with the directions and photos of how to make the look.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
VA is for Lovers 14K
Chris and I debated quite a bit about going to this run. We registered months ago, and had planned on spending the night in a hotel. But, things change. The weather got cold again, and we didn't want to leave our older dogs out all night in the cold. One has arthritis, so the cold just makes it miserable for her.
Instead, we decided to get up early (3:40 am!) and drive to VA Beach. However, at 3:00 am, our power went out. That meant no lights, no hot water, and no garage heater for the dogs during the day. The debate was renewed...do we drive down, or do we stay home? We decided that we made this commitment to get fit, paid the fees, so we needed to go. Somehow, we managed to get ready in the dark, let the dogs out to use the bathroom, fed the dogs, and left them in the house for the day. We drove to Fredericksburg and needed to gas up. The wind was COLD and BRISK. Once again, we debated. But after getting a breakfast sandwich and hot Dunkin coffee, we continued on.
We made it in great time and pulled into the VA Beach sports complex parking lot before it was closed for the race. Now that we were there, we knew we were going to run. It was still windy and cold (34 degrees), but the sun was trying to break through the clouds. After picking up our packet and getting ready, we headed out to the starting line. There were four corrals, and we put ourselves between 3 and 4. Once we got the ok to start, we headed out. It was a bit crowded at the beginning, and thinned out a bit as we split off. One race was a 6K and the other was a 14K (for February 14). I ran the 14K today.
I did pretty well running, but one of my biggest struggles was the wind in my face which made breathing difficult. I kept my Buff on my neck and basically pulled it up when it was windy, then pulled it down when it wasn't. The second struggle was my calves. I was doing pretty well until I passed mile 7. Then my calves just began screaming. I walked when it hurt too much, then ran, then walked. Luckily I was able to run across the finish line. I definitely need to work on my form and get my calves back to normal. Only 2 weeks until the Disney Princess Half Marathon! Oh boy!
The Expo was fun. They gave us medals, water, gatorade, pretzels, and bananas when we crossed the finish line. Then we got a delicious tomato Parmesan soup in a bread bowl. So yummy! We had our picture taken while we were there, but totally forgot to use our camera to take any pictures. I think we were just so cold, that we just didn't think about it. We stopped at a Jo-Ann's Fabric store on the way home for the material for my Snow White sleeves and trim. Now to finish the outfit!
Another great race (minus the calf aching) and great day!
Instead, we decided to get up early (3:40 am!) and drive to VA Beach. However, at 3:00 am, our power went out. That meant no lights, no hot water, and no garage heater for the dogs during the day. The debate was renewed...do we drive down, or do we stay home? We decided that we made this commitment to get fit, paid the fees, so we needed to go. Somehow, we managed to get ready in the dark, let the dogs out to use the bathroom, fed the dogs, and left them in the house for the day. We drove to Fredericksburg and needed to gas up. The wind was COLD and BRISK. Once again, we debated. But after getting a breakfast sandwich and hot Dunkin coffee, we continued on.
We made it in great time and pulled into the VA Beach sports complex parking lot before it was closed for the race. Now that we were there, we knew we were going to run. It was still windy and cold (34 degrees), but the sun was trying to break through the clouds. After picking up our packet and getting ready, we headed out to the starting line. There were four corrals, and we put ourselves between 3 and 4. Once we got the ok to start, we headed out. It was a bit crowded at the beginning, and thinned out a bit as we split off. One race was a 6K and the other was a 14K (for February 14). I ran the 14K today.
I did pretty well running, but one of my biggest struggles was the wind in my face which made breathing difficult. I kept my Buff on my neck and basically pulled it up when it was windy, then pulled it down when it wasn't. The second struggle was my calves. I was doing pretty well until I passed mile 7. Then my calves just began screaming. I walked when it hurt too much, then ran, then walked. Luckily I was able to run across the finish line. I definitely need to work on my form and get my calves back to normal. Only 2 weeks until the Disney Princess Half Marathon! Oh boy!
The Expo was fun. They gave us medals, water, gatorade, pretzels, and bananas when we crossed the finish line. Then we got a delicious tomato Parmesan soup in a bread bowl. So yummy! We had our picture taken while we were there, but totally forgot to use our camera to take any pictures. I think we were just so cold, that we just didn't think about it. We stopped at a Jo-Ann's Fabric store on the way home for the material for my Snow White sleeves and trim. Now to finish the outfit!
Another great race (minus the calf aching) and great day!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
4 miles--shorter today!
Today was Thursday, and I am planning on running in a race on Saturday, so I wanted to get a little run in today. I raced home from work, suited up, and took meds. I headed out right as my husband was getting home. Luckily it is staying later every night, so we don't have to finish running by 5:00 to avoid running in the pitch black darkness.
I decided to head east today first so that maybe I would meet up with Chris when he got out there. I've been running pretty much the same route for months, that it was nice to do something different. I kept expecting to see Chris, but I never did.
The only issue I've had a few times now, is that my calves can be sore and tight. I think it is because I run with a fore foot strike--maybe a little too much. This is something that I need to research and adjust my form needed.
My time wasn't the best today, but that is ok. I really jus twanted to get out there and move and run before my big one on Saturday.
I decided to head east today first so that maybe I would meet up with Chris when he got out there. I've been running pretty much the same route for months, that it was nice to do something different. I kept expecting to see Chris, but I never did.
The only issue I've had a few times now, is that my calves can be sore and tight. I think it is because I run with a fore foot strike--maybe a little too much. This is something that I need to research and adjust my form needed.
My time wasn't the best today, but that is ok. I really jus twanted to get out there and move and run before my big one on Saturday.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My longest run! 13.9 miles
My husband and I knew we wanted to do a long run this weekend, and after checking the weather Friday night, we decided to make it on Sunday. At that point, Sunday was supposed to be 41+ degrees, and Saturday was predicted to be 30ish degrees and chance of snow. So on Saturday, we drove to Quantico Marine Base to pick up Disney World tickets for our Princess Half Marathon. Luckily, we are able to get greatly discounted tickets since Chris is retired AF. How very cool it was going to the BX and Commissary. I always loved living on base and miss it now. It was a little walk on memory lane. As we left Quantico, it began to snow.
When we woke up today, it was snowing. Oh Frostbite! Old Man Winter decided to play a trick on us, and it snowed almost all day today. So I mentally had to really get myself in the mood to run. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to be cold (I am always cold), didn't want to have to bundle up, didn't want a constantly runny nose and chapped lips, and didn't want snowflakes in my eyes. After bundling up (sigh) and deciding to wear sunglasses to keep the snowflakes out of my eyes, we headed out. I had forgotten to charge both my watches, so I was hoping they would last during the run. Chris headed towards 231 and I headed towards 522. The route to 522 is steeper and more challenging, so I wanted to get that leg done first. For the first 1.5 miles, my toes were freezing. I had on socks and my Vibrams FF, but I guess I should have worn my Smart Wool socks to keep the moisture wicking away. I did pretty well all the way to the Boston Store and 522, with the funniest thing happening about 1 mile before the store. I had previously removed all my Christmas songs from my Nano, or so I thought. At one point, "Let it Snow" came on and I just had to literally laugh out loud because it was really snowing at that point.
Down to Boston Store is about 4.25 miles, So turning back and heading towards our road made it about 8.45 miles. When I was a few tenths from our road, I saw Chris walking towards me. I was walking also at that time since it is the BIG hill that is tough for me. When I got to him, he asked me for my handheld water bottle and then jogged to the end of our road where I put extra water bottle. What a sweetheart. He didn't want me to waste time refilling the bottle! He told me, "You are doing great! Keep going!" and headed home while I headed towards 231. My original goal had been 15 miles--the total distance to each end of Slate Mills and back home--but this changed after a couple of hours of being constantly snowed on and running through cold puddles and snow and ice.
My Garmin watch stopped at 9.42 miles and my New Balance watched stopped tracking my pace and miles at 10.8 miles. Luckily, the NB watch continued to track the time and did so all the way home. I decided to turn around at the church instead of going all the way to the end of the road. About 1/2 a mile later, my knees began hurting, I kept telling myself that they didn't hurt and to just keep going. But then I started to worry about damaging them, and decided it wasn't worth it, and started to walk. I walked for a bit and then ran again. My knees didn't hurt immediately, but began a bit later. I walked again. I definitely walked more than I wanted on the way home. But that is ok. By the time I had finished, Chris and I did the math and figured out that I had almost run 14 miles. I was thrilled...and sore...and tired...and thrilled. My socks were soaked, my glasses were wet, and I was exhausted.
The worst things about this run? Having to wear something over my mouth which then fogged up my sunglasses constantly. Having wet and cold feet. Having to wipe my runny nose and reapply chapstick. Having to remove one mitten to clean my glasses, or wipe my nose, or put on chapstick.
The best things about this run? I know I can do 13.1 miles now. I wasn't sure of this before, but I am now. I didn't feel horrible, instead, for much of the run, I felt pretty good. I didn't have to go to the bathroom urgently making me feel horrible the last bit. I did it!
When we woke up today, it was snowing. Oh Frostbite! Old Man Winter decided to play a trick on us, and it snowed almost all day today. So I mentally had to really get myself in the mood to run. I wanted to run, but I didn't want to be cold (I am always cold), didn't want to have to bundle up, didn't want a constantly runny nose and chapped lips, and didn't want snowflakes in my eyes. After bundling up (sigh) and deciding to wear sunglasses to keep the snowflakes out of my eyes, we headed out. I had forgotten to charge both my watches, so I was hoping they would last during the run. Chris headed towards 231 and I headed towards 522. The route to 522 is steeper and more challenging, so I wanted to get that leg done first. For the first 1.5 miles, my toes were freezing. I had on socks and my Vibrams FF, but I guess I should have worn my Smart Wool socks to keep the moisture wicking away. I did pretty well all the way to the Boston Store and 522, with the funniest thing happening about 1 mile before the store. I had previously removed all my Christmas songs from my Nano, or so I thought. At one point, "Let it Snow" came on and I just had to literally laugh out loud because it was really snowing at that point.
Down to Boston Store is about 4.25 miles, So turning back and heading towards our road made it about 8.45 miles. When I was a few tenths from our road, I saw Chris walking towards me. I was walking also at that time since it is the BIG hill that is tough for me. When I got to him, he asked me for my handheld water bottle and then jogged to the end of our road where I put extra water bottle. What a sweetheart. He didn't want me to waste time refilling the bottle! He told me, "You are doing great! Keep going!" and headed home while I headed towards 231. My original goal had been 15 miles--the total distance to each end of Slate Mills and back home--but this changed after a couple of hours of being constantly snowed on and running through cold puddles and snow and ice.
My Garmin watch stopped at 9.42 miles and my New Balance watched stopped tracking my pace and miles at 10.8 miles. Luckily, the NB watch continued to track the time and did so all the way home. I decided to turn around at the church instead of going all the way to the end of the road. About 1/2 a mile later, my knees began hurting, I kept telling myself that they didn't hurt and to just keep going. But then I started to worry about damaging them, and decided it wasn't worth it, and started to walk. I walked for a bit and then ran again. My knees didn't hurt immediately, but began a bit later. I walked again. I definitely walked more than I wanted on the way home. But that is ok. By the time I had finished, Chris and I did the math and figured out that I had almost run 14 miles. I was thrilled...and sore...and tired...and thrilled. My socks were soaked, my glasses were wet, and I was exhausted.
The worst things about this run? Having to wear something over my mouth which then fogged up my sunglasses constantly. Having wet and cold feet. Having to wipe my runny nose and reapply chapstick. Having to remove one mitten to clean my glasses, or wipe my nose, or put on chapstick.
The best things about this run? I know I can do 13.1 miles now. I wasn't sure of this before, but I am now. I didn't feel horrible, instead, for much of the run, I felt pretty good. I didn't have to go to the bathroom urgently making me feel horrible the last bit. I did it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)