Well, I did it. The Longest Run In The History Of Belly (20 miles) was yesterday, and it went about as well as I could expect. I was incredibly nervous. Seriously. Totally nervous. I tried to explain why I was so nervous last night to Johnny V, and the best I could come up with is that I knew it was going to hurt, I just didn't know how much, or how long it (the run and the hurt) would last. So, I imagine the marathon -- or any massively long run -- is like childbirth for that very reason [note that I speculate here, because I don't have kiddlings just yet (Idgy the cat doesn't count for purposes of this discussion)]. So, at 6:35, as I was starting to run, I didn't know if I would finish by 10:00, 10:30, or 12:30. (I was glad that it ended at 10:30.)
And, of course, there was the drama of realizing that the bodyglide was at Johnny V's (which I realized at 6:00 a.m., 1/2 hour before I was supposed to meet the group) and then the scamble to figure out what to slather on myself so that I didn't come back a scraped up raw mess. (And chamois butter works for that, folks, believe it or not. Good to know, eh?) And then there was the realization that I wasn't going to be able to meet the group on time -- but I still saw them coming south as I was going north to meet them, so that was cool... Ran about a mile with Bob and Carrie and the IT Bandits, then turned back north to run my own northern more scenic loops (up to the beach and lighthouse, back down around the peewee soccer fields, along the lakefront, the harbor, and back up). It was hard to break off from Bob et al, but I needed to go slower than they were going, lest my left leg fall off around mile 18... A little forced separation helps me do that. :) But still, it was great to catch up with Carrie for a bit (well, for 9:30 -- one mile...)
(Photo of Carrie saying howdy as she waited to get going on her leg of the Madison-Chicago 200 mile relay, which I have not reported on just yet -- but will someday. Yes, we had a team that ran 200 miles. Yes, it went all night. Yes, it was a little insane...)
And, you know, it went pretty well. The weather was perfect; the lake was a sheet of glass, there were geese all over the place, lots of soccer games and such to pay attention to while running by, and the path was not all that busy for a Saturday. I averaged around a 10:30-10:45 pace while I was running, which isn't bad for someone who's injured (and not trying to run fast), and this morning I feel great -- with the exception of that leg. Zero muscle soreness, zero aches everywhere but that pesky IT Band... And my leg felt generally fine during the run, except that around mile 11 I started to feel a "ping" every once in a while. But it seems like stretching every 1.5 miles or so (more like every mile from mile 15-20) really works for me. Good practice....
And through it all I thought of a quote that a friend of mine shared with me the other day -- she's been going to this amazing massage therapist/acupunturist named Dr. Lee. He actually used to work with the Korean soccer team. I think he knows what he's doing... Anyhoo -- he was telling her that she was walking all funny. So he said "Miss Irene -- you must walk in your feet. Not on them."
I love Dr. Lee...
Such simple advice, but when you think about it while you're running, it honestly changes how you run (for the better, I think). Give it a try...
Then after running, Johnny V and I went to a diner for breakfast (I was soooo hungry...) and then took Miss Idgy for a vet's appointment -- her ears were bugging her, and she's been soooo anxious. So we met with the vet, who literally gave us a glade-plug-in-looking device that diffuses cat pheremones that are supposed to chill her out. So far, it's actually worked (much to our surprise...). Stay tuned for updates on the kitty hormone therapy.
Then we went to help two friends of ours -- Robyn and Stephanie -- both had a tough week emotionally, but Stephanie had a major physical injury this week to boot, and had to have hand surgery. Horrible. So Sweet Johnny changed her bandages on her hands for her, and I got to catch up with Robyn (from street level -- I couldn't tackle stairs at the moment...). They've had a rough one, so hopefully things will quiet for them soon...
And then we went to the grocery store, and then we went to dinner.
I think I did too much! Today's busy, too - a hiking trip organized to celebrate Miss Connie's birthday. I think I'll be enjoying from the car, but I'm going anyway. Can't miss out on it -- too special of an occasion. But in the meantime, I'm icing that leg, and trying not to hobble too much... you can call me hopalong...
Have a great one, folks...
belly
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