#marathontraining

My scheduled long run said to do a half marathon.  I half-ass looked for an official half marathon and didn't find anything I wanted to do that was close.  But I was okay with that, I'd just run 13.1 miles on my own.  Thinking about it, I had decided to drive to the tulip fields of Mt. Vernon to run on the roads out there.  It's not tulip season, so I figured there wouldn't be much traffic, but knowing the roads, they are narrow, with little to no shoulder and the speed limits are in the 40-55 range.  Thinking of running on a (country road) with people potentially passing me going 60+ miles an hour with no shoulder, and somewhere I've never run before, it scared me.  I opted out.  (Not out of my run though.)  I decided to just do my normal long run route and add miles, probably at the end (which I hate). 

It was supposed to get to the high 80's (quit, I know that's not hot for the rest of the world but for this western WA acclimated girl, it's hot) and I didn't want to be running 13 miles in it.  So I was going to leave early.  I got out of my house at 8:45 (no, I don't think that's early), but when I left my house it was 64 degrees, doable.  When I got done it was closer to 75 degrees.

Nothing about the beginning of the run is notable.  It was a typical long run along familiar roads and trails. 

This is a duck pond we walk to
regularly.  I've never seen it so dry.



I took a couple detours, one I've done before and one off onto one of those narrow farm roads I was talking about earlier.  I went about a mile off on the farm road and turned around. When I turned around there was a beautiful view of Mt. Baker.  I tried to take a picture, but of course it didn't come out as nice as the actual view. 

You can't even see the mountain.

Anyway, it was shortly after this picture that I felt dead.  I didn't want to run anymore.  I was tired.  I don't know why it hit me so hard, but at mile 10 I stopped.  I mean dead stop.  I squatted down and posted on Facebook. 

I ate some fuel, I can't think of the name, and went on.  I wish I could say that was it, I was motivated and finished strong from there, but I can't.  Only a mile later I again stopped.  This time I sat down.  Sat right on the trail, I didn't want to go on.  I was tired.  I just wanted to be done.  I thought about finishing out one more mile (that would have put me at my normal ending spot) and just go home from there, but I thought that was silly, what's one more mile (well, one more after the next one).  I took a picture and posted on Instagram.

I got up.  I finished my run.  I had been planning on running 13.1 miles, after all, that was on my schedule, but I hit that 13 mile mark, picked a pole ahead and stopped at the pole.  I laid down, and of course, took a couple pictures (none of which were pretty). 

I had thought ahead and bought donuts and fixings for mimosa's so when I got home, after my shower, and some water, I enjoyed my donut and mimosa.  =)

I have been surprised that I haven't been super sore after my long runs.  I guess this week has been the worst, and it's been practically nothing.  I'm happy with that.  =)  And no foot pain.  Seriously, none.  How awesome is that!!

Yesterday I had 3 miles on the schedule and I almost skipped it, but I didn't.  I'm going out of town on Friday evening and knew if I skipped it I'd have a hard time making it up.  So I went for a run.  It was faster than my runs have been lately.  I think it's because it was an evening run (which I prefer).  There were a couple times during that run (only 3 miles) that I wanted to stop as well.  I didn't, but man, 2 runs in a row where I just didn't have the energy to finish. . . well, I did, because I did finish, but still. . .

Today is supposed to be cooler and rainy, so even though it's normally a rest day, I'm planning on running 7 miles.  (Ugh! 7 miles in the middle of the week, it's only going to get worse.) #marathontraining 

This Friday we're going to eastern WA for 5 days.  I don't know how that will affect my running.  Luckily it's a scale back week, so if I miss my long run, I'm missing 10 miles instead of 14 (I've never ran 14 and that's on the schedule for next week, scary!!).  I'll see what the terrain is like where we're going and what the weather is like.  Eastern WA is much hotter than western WA, so my refusal to run above 75 degrees, may be detrimental.  I'll let you know.  ; )