Kenyan Way - Saturday Long Run

I was worried about this one.  Even though I didnt run on Friday, I was still very busy, and along with that a certain level of stress being at the hospital with Mom for most of the day.

With Coach being gone, he made it the standard route of Memorial and the Bayou, both boring and both that I dont care for when it comes to long runs.  But its easy for him so that the water stops are minimal and easy to set out and pick up for the girls who help him on Saturdays.  All I thought was...great...more damn hills (bayou)...and I tell ya I am about as sick of hills as I am of well...I dont know really, but I know I'm sick of them!  Since March 14th, its been hills, hills, and more hills.  Gah!

So it was basically just Amber and I running together this morning and after we were about halfway around Memorial, we were discussing the bayou situation and Amber suggested we just add on at the park...Which was the worse of two of my evils?  So we just added on at the park.  :)  That would put us at 10+ back to base and we'd add on there.  Good enough.  I held on till we were almost through the second loop of the park and then my legs just gave out for a bit...I told her to go ahead and honestly I probably walked all of 45sec...once I hit the pavement I was off and running just fine again.  That surface there was just adding to my already fatigued legs.  As we got about 40 yrds from base, I stopped to walk that part in and a wave of nausea came over me like I hadnt felt before.  I started to have that gag reflex, bent over and just waited...nothing.  All I can say is that it was very warm and VERY humid out there and maybe that along with just overall fatigue made me feel that way?  Anyway, we got some fluids, mostly Gatorade for me before we took off again.  About 400m in, we were just chatting away about something and bamm!  It was like someone opened me up and just popped out my batteries...I stopped dead in  my tracks and simply said "I'm done".  She kept going and I walked again for about 45 sec and started again...Somehow I finished, although I turned at Floyd instead of going all the way to Washington.  This gave me 11.6 miles ... Damn good enough...

Avg pace for 11.6 miles = 10:25  Not sure how I managed it but I did; even managed a negative split, with mile 10 being the fastest at 9:55.

Mile 1: 10:35
Mile 2: 10:30
Mile 3: 10:37
Mile 4: 10:36
Mile 5: 10:40
Mile 6: 10:32
Mile 7: 10:18
Mile 8: 10:27
Mile 9: 10:13
Mile 10: 9:55
Mile 11: 10:18
.6  10:06 pace

Definitely can tell that I struggled compared to long training runs of late.  I HAVE to get my legs back this week.  And with Mom doing so much better, the stress is somewhat lifted, so I am hoping that will help.  I havent done a lot of anything today sans going to the hospital for Easter with Mom...after that I came home and took a big nap!!! It was fantastic!

If I can just maintain training at 4:15 marathon estimated time, I should be good to go for Chicago for a big PR barring any issues, before or during of course...

On the drive home, I decided that I might not do hills tomorrow..I would like to just come home from work and go on a solo 6 mile run...my favorite route around here and just be with my thoughts and have some alone time.  Its hard for me to remember the last time I did that...While I love all my running friends to the moon and back, and have been running so much with them lately and loved it, I think I need a soul searching, all by myself kind of run for a change of pace (no pun intended)...its gonna be 80+ tomorrow when I run, so a super sweaty run will be on tap...and you know, I kind of look forward to it...it challenges me, cleanses me and makes me sometimes feel so rejuvenated...I need that kind of run I think...Date and I were talking about that last night...sometimes its the alone-ness of being a runner that makes it so darn special...Guess you now know he's a runner too...and a damn good one at that...

Long range weather for upcoming 5K looks to be in my favor...After that, I am pretty much out of any race mode unless I get a wild hair...

Now I am going to settle in and watch The Hangover...