While it might have been in the high 70s and sunny last weekend, we were brought back to reality this weekend with a huge dose of rain, wind and chilly temperatures. Rain was in the forecast Saturday and Sunday so it was one of those weekends where you try to pick the best of two bad choices for your long run. Lately I have been more tired than usual for reasons that I can’t quite pinpoint unless it is the extra tennis at night, getting up a few minutes early for my masters swimming or a combination of both. It could also be the girl scout cookies that have been coursing through my veins these past few weeks... but I am not a nutrition expert. :) I opted to take Saturday as a rest day and try my luck on Sunday which was supposed to have some clearing in the afternoon.
I woke up Sunday just not feeling it. I still felt a little sluggish and not particularly looking forward to getting out there. We have all had those days, right? CR had to leave for work at 11:00 so I hung around making him pancakes, checking out facebook and catching up on my blog reading. I realized that I didn’t have an audio book to listen to today as I had finished my other one last week so spent a few minutes choosing a new book. I settled on Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner and killed 20 minutes waiting for it to download while I frantically looked for my knee pants puzzled that I couldn’t find even one pair when I have THREE pairs somewhere in my house. The download finished, I applied some expired deodorant (according to the label, it expired in July of 2007). I went through a phase where no deodorant was to my liking so I continued my quest for the perfect deodorant until I found it. (Secret clinical waterproof is my fave if you are interested.) I am thinking a bathroom cabinet cleaning is in order to get rid of all the expired products. Just thinking out loud…
So with my new book on my ipod and old deodorant on my arms, I headed out the door for my run. On the way out the driveway, I made a quick stop by the mailbox hoping my new GU Cherry Lime flavor had arrived but it had not. Luckily I had several back up gels, blocks, and chews that I had been given in various race packets throughout the year. I did check the expiration dates on those… After all that procrastinating, I was on my way!
I don’t know about you but I can tell when I head out of it is going to be a good run day or if it is going to be an exercise in mental toughness. I had a feeling it was going to be the latter. I pulled into the parking lot at Stone Mountain, got my ipod ready and stepped out into the 40 degree weather and gusty 20 MPH winds. Brrrr! (I know some of you endure much worse, there certainly was no snow or ice so hats off to you in the frozen tundra!). Stone Mountain is a 5 mile loop course around the mountain. The first loop was tough for some reason. Discouraging, really. How could I bust out 20 miles on this same course last weekend and then struggle through 5 today? The negotiations began at that point. It sounded a bit like this:
If I don’t get 15 in today, maybe I could get up at 4 tomorrow and do 15 before work?
If I did 10 today, and 10 tomorrow would that be the same as 15 today?
Maybe I could do 10 today and then 15 next week but I guess that would not really be a taper.
Training for a race is overrated. (I kid…)
Oh the joys of being a planner at heart and a slave to the schedule. I slowed the pace down a bit and the second 5 miles was much more comfortable than the first which gave me the boost I needed to go ahead and get the 15 miles in the books. Hooray!
I made the mistake of looking at the elevation chart for the Georgia Marathon earlier this week and though I knew it was hilly, seeing it mapped out somehow made it more intimidating. I have run sections of the course before so it isn’t a complete unknown, I know I can do it. It just isn’t a super flat Disney type course but then again Disney didn’t have cupcakes at the end either so I guess it is give and take. :) My plan for the race is to enjoy the course. I have no expectations of a PR, I just am not where I was a couple of years ago although I think I would like to work on speed over the summer and get back to that level for my fall marathon. All in all, feeling ready to race!
10 comments:
Good job getting the 15 in. I think it would be tough to do the same loop 3 times and not quit.
You can do anything! Rain? What's that? Wind? What's that? Keep up the good work!
I love running in the cold. I love running in the rain. Cold and raining - I'm staying indoors.
I can tell pretty much right away too! I also know that I need to be stretching more and focusing on warming up more before my runs outside. Good for you for keeping moving!
A lot of times I start my long runs apprehensive, wondering which kind of day I'll have. Glad you got it done. Bet you are, too! I used GU cherry lime today - it's good!
Nice job getting that run in when you weren't feeling it. Those are the ones that are really going to count later on, right? I tend to do a lot of mental bargaining on runs, too.
Great job pushing through it, I think I'd almost rather run through molten lava than 20mph winds. Okay, that's an exaggeration, my point is it stinks! Great job!
I love rain (maybe because we don't get enough of it here in CA) but wind is not my best friend.
You are one tough cookie.
Hey Karen, I'm new to your blog! :)
Great job with the run! I negotiate with myself all the time yet always feel best when I just get it done. Way to go!
Great job getting the miles in. I have had many a long run like that where it just didn't start out good and I had to talk myself in to a good run.
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