When I rolled out of bed this morning at 3:45am...yep 3:45am...I saw the temperature on the phone...82 deg. At 3:45am. Loverly. :)
Plan was to start at 4:30 and that indeed did happen. I shoved a banana down while getting ready and pulled up to base. Only 1 car there. But I didnt see anyone but shortly after I pulled up another car pulled up behind me. It was a girl I didnt know, but we spoke and the next thing I knew we were running together. It was nice to feel a bit safer even if I was just going to do loops at base.
However after the 2nd loop SW was there and he informed me that the water stops were already out, so I only did 4 loops there at base and then took off towards Crestwood (which would in fact be the last water stop of the route as you do River Oaks). I did run this 4 mile loop by myself but there were enough people running up Memorial to where I didnt feel nervous. As I hit the water stop, there were a couple of people I knew that had come down Blossom so I had them to run with on the way back as they were just going back the way they came. I had taken 2 S!Caps before I left the house, took 1 at mile 6 (water stop). I also took a gel at mile 6. I did NOT want to red line like I did last week when I didnt do anything proactive in those first 7 miles. Once I got back to base there were obviously more people arriving as it was nearing 6am. I changed out of my already completely soaked socks and shoes as I had brought a 2nd pair of each with me knowing that I could do this because of the way I was running the miles today. Even though the dryness of the 2nd pair only lasted about 3 miles it was good to do that.
Now it was time for five 2 mile runs :) ... the water stops were 2 miles apart thankfully today...sometimes that is not the case. I was pretty much managing 10:40/10:45 pace...sometimes it would get close to 11, but i would speed up a bit to keep it as close to target as I could for as long as I could given the conditions.
I had a couple of incidents of nausea this morning, whenever I would take a gel so that was weird. I've never had that before but I guess it was just the heat. I also starting have cramps (the woman kind) midway but quickly just put those out of mind as best as I could.
I took my time at the water stops and drank a bit more than I normally do ... but again I was losing so much fluid that I knew I needed to do it.
It wasnt until about starting in mile 13 that I started feeling some ill effects of the heat as it pertains to get up and go in my legs. Once I hit 15 I was fading so I started running a bit slower, would walk a bit, then start up again, going for 6-7 min at a time. I was at or near MP and I was in full on sun as I chose to run the paved side of Memorial Drive and not the path which is mostly shade at that hour. Somehow I managed to get to the last water stop and thats where I had a 'talk' with myself.
I was pleased that todays run had already gone SO much better than last weekends fiasco so I had that. But then I knew and had to remind myself that I had 2 more miles to go (and that next week I am rewarded with only an 11 mile run!)...at that water stop there were some very much so struggling runners and they had only done 8 miles...so I off towards Blossom I went. Unfortunately I was in full sun again, but just put one foot in front of the other and managed a decent last 2 miles.
While I would not call this a great run, it was good. Funny how the marathon training scale gets altered when comparing to another run so recent as last week you know?
Now we start the long one week/short the next dance...6 more weeks to taper. I have a 19, 21 and 22 miler left to do. The 19 might turn into a 20 depending on how I feel on that particular day :)
I spent the rest of the morning 'icing' in the pool, and trying to sleep (didnt work) before heading off to see Mom ... and on the way I stopped off at Celebrity Cupcakes to bring her a special surprise (and of course I indulged as well: Vanilla Coconut for me!) So darn yummy!!!
Now I sit here talking to you all...eating a huge bowl of veggie lo mein (mine, not from a restaurant)...so I know its not full of oil and gunk :) Was going to go out this evening with the girls, but now ... I am thinking I am going to stay in and watch 'Book of Eli'...and fall asleep half way through it probably :)
By the way when I finished my run this morning? The temp was 89 deg. Feels like of 94...Good grief! :)
How was YOUR run today???
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