Ok, I know I shouldn't say "freak" but trust me this run deserves an "f" word! Ok, in all seriousness, the run itself wasn't awful. What was awful was the before and after. But look at this smiling face! Judging by it you would never think anything was wrong at all!
Ready to go, or as ready as I will ever be should I say! But before I tell you all about these 14 miles, let me tell you about the 14 or so hours leading up to the run.
Starting with the night before. A dinner of Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies, a pumpkin beer and lots of snacks from Healthy Home Markets. The combination equals one happy girl:
But not one happy runner :( I was not hydrated well and I'm not sure cookies= a good carbo-load! Add to the mix an unrestful night and a very warm day on Sunday, and I think the odds were against me. For some reason (maybe the looming 14 miles) I could not get to sleep the night before and all my dreams kept waking me up in the middle of the night. Sunday morning I prayed and prayed that I would be able to enjoy church, focus on the message, and forget about the run, but unfortunately all I could think about were those 14 miles. Despite my distraction, I was able to get something out of church...vote and be educated. I feel convicted- I need to do some research.
Finally, church was over (I hate saying that, I really don't mean finally like I don't like church, but I really wanted to get this run over with!) I do not like waiting until the end of the weekend to do my long-run, I feel like it ruins my weekend. I prefer to get it done and over so I don't have to dwell on it for 3 days straight!
After church I proceeded to drink as much water as I could in a short amount of time. Before church I ate a bowl of cereal and half a mini-bagel. And I stupidly drank coffee. Not a good idea! To counter my lack of proper hydration and fueling I chugged the water. I grabbed my clif bar (diced into small pieces) and jelly beans, a couple water bottles and I was out the door.
My first 5 miles were relatively uneventful. I ran with my good friend Angie. Thank goodness for her!
We chatted and caught up on our lives. We haven't ran together in weeks! We kept a good pace and finished right at 50 minutes. We snapped a photo, I drank some water, grabbed my beans and waved goodbye. I was sad to run the next 7 miles on my own, but I was confidant and was feeling pretty good.
The next 7 miles dragged on. I ran the Davidson Greenway like I usually do, but I ran my route backwards for some added distraction. I made it almost to 10 miles before a walking break, and I was very proud of that. Right around that 10 mile mark I desperately needed water. The weather was hot...can you believe it is already November! And I was running in 80* weather yesterday! I probably could have ran the whole way if I was properly hydrated, but my tired muscles and dry throat demanded a walk break every mile and a half or so. Each mile I also popped a jelly bean, to soften my throat and keep me busy. Bad mistake. More on that in a minute.
After my greenway miles I had a special treat waiting for me! Mr. Kummerow! He agreed to run the last 2 miles with me! Unfortunately I made a slight wrong turn and ran an extra half mile before I reached him. He was waiting patiently for me, however and came prepared with water! Running the last bit with him really helped me finish that last mile and a half.
Here are the stats:
Finally I was done! And happy!
Mr. Kummerow drove me to my car and I waved goodbye to him!
Now, only a 10 minute drive and I would be home and ready to relax. If only that was the case.
About 5 minutes into the drive nausea set in. I am not sure if it was from terrible hydration, the heat, the jellybeans or the pumpkin spice cookies I had for dinner the night before...but either way I was ill. It was all I could do to get home. I drove most of the way with my breath held and an urgency in my foot (aka- speeding). I returned home to slunk down on the couch. My wonderful husband made me tea and forced me to ice my foot. For about 15 minutes I managed to sit upright on the couch. And then the real sickness set in. And yes I did get sick. Not strange at all, the only thing to come up was water and jelly beans. I grabbed a quick shower, donned some sweats and collapsed into bed.
I slept for a solid 3 hours before Mr. Kummerow came to check on me. Miraculously, I awoke at 7pm with an appetite comparable to a bear who has just woke up from hibernation! No stomach ache, no nausea, just a little exhaustion and hunger the size of Texas.
I'm not sure what caused the whole illness, why it happened, or what it was about. But I can tell you this...I will be properly fueling before every run from now on. No more excuses!
Here was my bountiful dinner
Potatoes were the only thing that sounded good and I have no choice but to eat collards with every meal since we are still only through 1/2 of what Absolute Organics sent to us! These potatoes were roasted with seasonings, olive oil, onions and apples. I doused mine in ketchup!
I also ate a slice of toast, a handful of peanut butter pretzels and of course another pumpkin spice whoopie pie before returning to bed at 10pm! What a day!
Fourteen is my longest run ever! Now each week as I add mileage it will always be my longest run ever! This is when the challenge really sets in. I am beginning to think, "What have I gotten myself into?" But I am also beginning to feel very confidant and strong. I believe I can do this! Wow! That is the first time I have said that, out loud or in my head! I really do believe I can do this! Wow!
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