11 LONG MILES

Heidi

 

So somehow I finished my long run of eleven miles yesterday.  I got up at 5:45.  Woke two out of three of my children.  We still never got out the door before 6:50.  Don't ask me why.  Justin drove to the Struble Trail in Downingtown.  My hip wasn't feeling great and I was dreading this for days.  But...it had to be done!!

 

We walked to the end of the trail from the parking lot.  It is slightly less than 0.25 mile.  That starts the trail at 0.0.  It is slightly over 2.5 miles to the end.  So I had to do it two times plus about a half mile.  I started to run.  It was awful.  From the beginning I had to pee.  The port a potty was surrounded by trash men just hanging out in the parking lot, so that wasn't going to happen.  I had to wait until I ran to the other end of the trail where there was another one.  My legs were screaming.  I blame it on the bike ride the day before.  Note to self..."do not attempt a long run the day after you decide to ride your bike for 12 miles when you haven't done that in two weeks."  Then my left foot started going numb. WHAT????  Are you kidding me?  So I stopped a few times to re-tie my shoes and shake out the numbness.  All I could think about was I wasn't going to get eleven miles today.  I would be lucky to get to five.  I WAS GRUMPY!!!!

 

 

That is pretty much how I felt.  So I finally got to the end of the trail and used the port a potty.  It was gross but had to be done.  When I started to run again, the Downingtown High School Cross Country Team passed me.  (Man they were fast!  So jealous!!)  Luckily they came after I used the pot.  After they turned around and passed me again, they were all saying "Good morning."  Then one young boy yelled out, "Good morning.  I like your shirt, ma'am."  I was all happy at how nice they were until I heard the "ma'am."  Come one now.  I am 41.  Not a ma'am.  Oh and my shirt....it said, "if you are reading this, I am not last."  www.onemoremilerunning.com  They are our favorite store for shirts with the best sayings on them!!!   So although the cross country team made and ruined my day in one second flat, I started to feel better with my run. 

 

I got to five miles and decided to go run the trail one more time.  All I could think about was having to do this ridiculousness again in a few days.  Just kill me now.  Running it again now seemed like the better option. I saw my son and daughter along the way.  They always have big smiles on their faces.  They are always encouraging me.  Haley ran 5 miles (her longest to date...) and Justin ran 9, also his longest.  They waited  for over an hour in the car for me.  They brought their bikes but I guess they were too tired to ride them.  They are troopers for coming with me. 

 

Haley and Justin getting ready to run on the Struble Trail.

 

 

I finished the eleven miles.  My hip was killing me. I had to ingest a couple of GU's along the way to regain my energy.  I walked a little bit between mile 10 and 11.  Oh well...I DID IT!!  Only 2.1 more miles to go before the half.  Not sure if my hip will make it.  As I sit and write this today, I am thinking I may have overdone it.  It is killing me.  We shall see.  Tomorrow is another day...

 

Oh and as for food yesterday, other than the chocolate cake that Troy bought at BJ's (he will be my downfall for sure!!), I did pretty well.  I did burn 1,250 calories after all.  HA HA