18 miles this morning in 3 hours and 22 minutes – still slow, but I ended that little 5k pity party I had going on and slapped myself back into reality. It was cool, breezy and felt so easy. It’s Runner Susan again.
The Long Run
Yesterday I ran my 20 miles, and psychologically I really needed it since I missed my long run last weekend. I ran the first half of those with my friend Marta, the one who runs sub 4-hour marathons. She was kind enough to stick the “slow” pace out with me. I was also testing out a new pair of turquoise shorts that deemed promising on a few previous short runs but turned into a “where did they hide the razor blades in the fabric” chafing game for twenty miles. So, no, I’m not wearing razor blade shorts in Chicago – even if they are a really pretty turquoise.
It was a hilly course and the miles were hit or miss with either feeling good or pretty awful. I was either running well or dating Galloway again. Add in a side order of knees pain and foot cramping for good measure and you’ll get the whole picture. A real mix up of a run and I can’t use heat as an excuse because it was only wonderful 70 degrees outside. I finished with an 11:27 pace. How can one go from running fast to running slow? Am I not the same me I was when I was running faster than running slower?
I’m not complaining. Or am I? Oh well. As I was walking back to the house I noticed that my left ankle was a more sore than any other place on my body and bells started to ring to the tune of Austin Marathon. I was slightly achy and tired all over, but other than my left ankle, I really felt pretty good.
I was totally worried about the ankle until about noon today when I noticed that I was totally pain free. And not just pain free – more like “I feel disturbingly great for running twenty miles” pain free. Other than some grotesque gouge-like chafe wounds in some really unusual places, I don’t feel like I ran twenty miles at all.
This is a good sign. So Marta and I celebrated with a beer at a nearby restaurant. Then we ate some pizza and I gained thirty pounds. Sigh. You know, the only problem I have with beer – is that it tastes like beer. But I reckon beer-tasting beer is better than no beer at all.
That’s more like it
Yeah. 23 miles was on my plan for the day. I ran 5 and quit. Would you like me to bullet my excuses? No? Well I’m gonna do it anyway.
- Our power went out last night and I got up late
- When I did make it out the door it was almost 7AM
- And at 7AM it was already 83 degrees with 80% humidity
- I thought I was going to die before I even got to the end of the street
- I was so sweaty and sticky by 1/2 mile into it
- My calves and the arches of my feet started cramping
- Seriously, who has arch cramps? That’s just stupid
- Stupid with a big, stupid capital S
- S for stupid, stupid, stupid
- I had a really bad attitude because I’m so freaking tired of this hot and stupid weather
- And stupid humidity
- I started walking about 3 miles into the run because I was so stupid hot
- I averaged a 14 mph stupid speed
- I took Friday AND Saturday off as rest days to prepare for the 23 miles
- But I’ve been so very tired
- Because of the stupid weather
- I got a 108.66 miles in this month, just 10 shy of my all time Septemberathon high of last year
- If I had ran all 23 stupid miles, this month would be my all time high mileage month
- But it’s not, stupidly
Okay now. I think I’ll try a do-over tomorrow morning with a better attitude. Although it will still be stupid hot outside.
