Sunday, June 22, 2008

*thunk* iz ded

Ran 11 miles this morning.

Actually, it went well, so well that I'm not all the way dead; just mostly dead. I've also eaten a huge lunch (HUGE. Nom nom nom.) and am eying the refrigerator and contemplating a second lunch.

I had a nifty little break-through moment earlier this week during a "short" run (4 miles -- not so long ago, that was a long run!). It felt good, so good that I remembered why I keep doing this running thing. The same thing happened today. The first 8 or 9 miles were glorious. I ran along the Mississippi, the temperature was perfect, the skies were blue. It was the kind of morning you'd like to bottle to release in January when the river is frozen over, the temperature is below 0 F and the windchill's even worse, and the skies are grey. My breath was coming easily. I was really into my stride. Everything was just clicking. There were even hawks wheeling overhead. I felt like I could go forever.

The last couple of miles pretty much sucked. A month ago I'd said something to Pete about needing to get new running shoes and soon, because while the ones I've got are fine for shorter runs, they're not going to cut it for these long runs. Well, I should have taken my own advice: at some point during today's run, I gave myself one hell of a blister in a really obnoxious spot (side of my foot, just a bit down from my big toe). How much do I hate being right...! By the time I started feeling the irritation, it was too late and I was still too far from home -- and I hadn't brought my cell phone, so I couldn't even call Pete to come get me. Since there really wasn't anything else I could do, I sucked it up and kept going and tried not to favor that foot. But of course I was favoring it, which threw my stride off, which started doing weird things to that leg. By the time I got home, I was Ms. Gimpy. Argh.

I also hadn't brought enough water, because I was counting on Pete and the girls to show up on their bikes with waters at some point. I'd emailed my route to Pete and everything (he and the girls were still asleep when I left the house). Alas! Map My Run failed me. Pete didn't get the email. I was out of water at the 5 mile mark. There weren't any places to stop and refill. I was fine for a few more miles, and then I wasn't. (Coincidentally or perhaps not, "not fine" hit at the same time the blister made its presence known.)

But all in all, it was good. I drank about a gallon of water when I got home and then did an ice bath. Pete thought the shriek I let out when I hit the ice water was pretty funny, but really, after the initial immersion, it feels awfully good. And it works. Granted, I don't feel like going out this afternoon and doing another 11 mile run, but I'm feeling pretty good now, blister and all. This afternoon, I'm going to hie myself down to Run N Fun and get that new pair of shoes.

It's also worth noting that this week alone, I put in more miles than I did during the entire month of May. May was such a waste (damn you, plague! *shakes fist*) that that's not saying much. But still. I'm feeling a nice little glow of satisfaction. Or maybe that's the gimpy leg starting to act up again.

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