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July 15, 2007
what was I thinking?
What was I thinking?
What was I thinking 16 days ago?
Why would I think running every day for 31 days would be a great idea?
I know I had logical reasons for doing it. At this moment I don't really see the logic. I am actually thinking I was unstable, or drunk maybe even temporarily insane. Now, I am stable, as long as I don't try and walk or stand. I am not drunk and have all my witts about me. I am seeing clearly, and what I see is this is crazy!
I am not in my happy place.
I would like to be in my happy place, but I can't move. I am here, in purgatory also known as day 15.
So what happened? 14.5 miles happened.
The run today was good. The longest I've done almost 3 months. Neither hard or easy. My right achilles and calf were really tight for the first 4 miles. Like a metal rod had replaced tendon. When we stopped for water I stretched it out for a few minutes. That did the trick and it didn't bother me for the rest of the run. We picked up the pace after the waterstop until the turnaround around 7 miles. Then we had a mile of downhill so the pace went up again.
The coach suggested this morning that we run a couple miles in the last 1/3 of the run at our marathon pace. Why today we decided to start listening to him I'll never know, but we did. So from mile 8 to 11 we did marathon pace. I'm not sure who's marathon pace it was, but it wasn't mine and it wasn't Ps. We were about 30-40 seconds faster per mile than we should of been. You could interpret it as we should be changing our goal marathon time. Or more realistically, that we have no pace control. I am tending to lean towards the latter, since the last three miles were really tough.
Between the 3 miles at 10k pace and stopping to chat to two other runners who had just got back from a tour of Ireland. We were stopped for about 10 minutes. Every muscle in my legs had seized. P got me through the last 3 miles. Keeping me going when I didn't want to. Making run up every hill, when I didn't want to. Getting me to the end, even when she was struggling.
We made it back to the park. Runners were stretching all over the grass. Happy runners. Runners who obviously aren't working hard enough.
I stretched. That's when I realised I was aching from head to toe. I couldn't wait to get home and shower and crawl into bed. I slept for a couple hours. I am feeling alot better tonight, not as sore as I was after the run.
The thought of running tomorrow still doesn't seem appealling. The number 16 sounds more like torture than accomplishment.
Then I get a wonderful email from N, which makes me smile and I know that tomorrow ... I am going to do it.
Posted by Ali at July 15, 2007 9:46 PM
Comments
14.5? Damn awesome! Now this after running 14 days before. If you are still able to type, I'd say your are doing very well. Day 16 is a recovery run?
Posted by: Jon (was) in Michigan at July 16, 2007 7:28 AM
yay Ali! you're my new hero.
Posted by: deene at July 16, 2007 10:21 AM
You're doing great! No way that I could have done what you're doing, especially now that you've thrown in a 14.5 miler. Keep going!
Posted by: Vanilla at July 16, 2007 12:18 PM
After an easy recovery run, you'll be feeling better.
Posted by: Kevin at July 16, 2007 2:16 PM
14.5 miles on day 15. I don't know HOW you pulled that off.
Don't forget...2 miles running is STILL running.
You're on the downside of this thing now.
Posted by: Tea at July 16, 2007 3:59 PM
i just can't imagine running 14.5 miles ....
excellent run.
Posted by: londonjogger at July 16, 2007 6:29 PM