This past weekend I went for a long run with my co-worker who is doing the Rock'n'Roll Seattle Marathon as well. He had found a route for us and we agreed to meet at a mutual location that wasn't too far from where either of us lived, and would set us on a good starting point to run a route without many traffic lights, and minimal traffic.
So Saturday morning, I woke up, filled up my water belt and did a warm-up around my favorite go to place and headed out to meet up with him. I had beat him there but just had to wait for a few minutes before we took of.
By the time we hooked up I had run 4 miles at about a 9:15-9:20 pace, a bit too fast but I was feeling good and it wasn't hurting so I didn't think I was in trouble (insert foreshadowing of what was to come!).
As we started off down the road, headed toward a rolling hill, I had taken my head phones out and was casually talking with my co-worker. Unconsciously we had dropped the pace for miles 5- 8 so they looked a little like this: mile 5- 9:12, mile 6 - 9:04, mile 7 - 9:10, mile 8 - 9:22... now, seeing as I wasn't even half way through my run, and was throwing down miles like it was no big deal I should have known that the worse was yet to come...
Ignorance is truly bliss, those first 8 miles were fantastic, now the rest of the run fell apart in a big way! The hills came, walking took place, I attempted to have my running buddy leave me (he refused, thank goodness otherwise I likely would have sat on the side of the road and called to get picked up... or just laid there spread out waiting for my imminent death, likely the later of those two). So the mileage pace took a beating:
Mile 9- 10:14, Mile 11- 10:04, Mile 12 - 12:03 (pretty sure this was a hill that I walked up!), Mile 13 - 10:46, Mile 14 - 11:10, Mile 15 - 9:38 (probably running downhill), Mile 16 - 10:27, Mile 17 - 12:43, Mile 18 - 10:02, Mile 19 - 13:03 (was walking while on the Phone) and then .24 of a Mile at a 11:52 pace..
Yes a common theme these days, the wheels came off! 19.24 miles in 3:17:23... now in looking back and thinking of how I felt during it, it was awful. However, there are some positive notes, first of all I did manage to do a long run. Yes, I did walk, but I did manage to get myself to run again. Mentally I was getting owned, and that was I think my biggest issue, but the thing is, that I'm glad it happened while I was running with someone, on the back roads and I forced myself to finish (was refused to be abandoned lol).
While I was running this, I had serious doubts about whether or not I want to do the Marathon at the end of the month. Do I do it and risk having it suck and hate my life, or do I switch to the Half and try to own it... these were my thoughts and fears while I was running. Upon getting home though and sharing my time and mileage with my Mom, she was tremendously excited for me claiming that I could do this Marathon in under 4:30... well then. Myself at that moment, oh gosh I need fluid vs Mom- complete optimism... Thankfully positive thinking > negative thinking, so I consumed multiple liquids (oh ya, another problem, I was tremendously thirsty on this run, what is up with my body and over heating these days!) and as the Gatorade, water and carbonated water was consumed, optimism crept in.
4 days later, I'm actaully looking forward to attempting the full. I can't thrown down low 9 min miles, I'm not going to run a sub 4 hour marathon, but I may, just may be able to pull out a time between 4:15- 4:30 and while in the world of bloggers that may not be that good, in my world, that would be awesome!
So here's to optimism and a great training week (that is half over). Happy running, and Happy RUNNING DAY!
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