20 Miles 3 Hours 44 Minutes 30 Seconds of Running!

So, how was the 20 miles?

How did it go?

How do you feel?

Are you crazy?

These are a few of the questions I heard after this morning's run and all I could say was, it was ok...I am BEAT and Yeah, I think I really MAY BE CRAZY...this is just nuts!!! Seriously, WHO DOES THIS TO THEMSELVES FOR FUN??!!!

Me, I guess. :o)

Today was an interesting run. Started out fine, although I INSTANTLY regretted wearing the tights and a tee shirt...it was HUMID out there!!!! But since the weather down here in Texas is just as crazy as I am, I had to make sure the tights would work if I needed to go the distance in them on race day and they were fine. We ran up 79, refilled waters across from Walmart, turned down Red Bud, bathroom and water stop at HEB, turned on Gattis for some more hills and then turned back around at mile 9 to head back home. My face was SO HOT today, so red...I was super thirsty and drank all my water so we stopped back in HEB to fill up (Thank God!) and then again at our Walmart drop off for the final fillup! I took 5 gels and 2 salt pills today and I was fine during the run.

Now let's talk about pace. I felt fine after getting past those first 4/5 miles, attacked those hills . . . owned them, and felt strong going up each and every one of them! I kept telling the girls that I dig the hills, something about torturing myself breathless but recovering smoothly makes me feel STRONG! I found my groove with them and am not afraid of the hills, even though they are TOUGH of course, I aint scared! :o) I'm starting to notice a little pattern with the longer distances...I hate the first 4 miles, start to get pumped up during miles 6-11, then start thinking about getting home and how I'm breaking up the rest of the mileage from there. Don't like the 13 mile mark, can't explain it but just wish the Garmin would skip Lap 13, LOL, start feeling strong again around 15 and maybe even a little cocky thinking I could run forever! :o) This is when I decided to do some aggressive attacking of the last couple of hills and started doing short little sprints...yeah, not sure if that was a good idea or not since I KNEW I wouldn't be finishing those last couple miles at 10 or less pace wise.

Heidi and Erika only had to do 18 so I had to go on and that was TOUGH mentally for me to turn down Exchange and know I wasn't going home but pushing through 2 more grueling miles alone. I was strategizing during the 18th mile and then when I felt like I just COULD NOT keep running I broke the 19th mile up in .25 increments which helped me mentally. The last 10th of a mile my legs felt like I was hobbling. I stopped in front of my house to walk it out for a bit and felt like I WAS GOING TO DIE!!!!! Yeah, it WAS tough!

Not sure how I'm going to do this marathon as far as pace goes, but I'm guessing I need to take it slower and not start off in the 10s for the first couple miles. Will that really work? I don't know. I don't like to "THINK" too much with this running stuff but DO want to finish strong.
Here is my pace broken done by mile:
Mile: Pace

1	:11:14
2	:10:53
3	:10:55
4	:10:51
5	:11:44
6	:12:00
7	:11:28
8	:11:38
9	:11:19
10	:11:17
11	:11:29
12	:11:34
13	:11:02
14	:10:55
15	:10:45
16	:10:33
17	:10:16
18	:10:41
19	:11:44
20	:12:01

I sit here now with sore knees and an upset tummy thinking about the craziness of the day. This running thing is TOUGH. I'm a girl and some of the stuff I deal with is just SO UNFEMININE!!! The WORST is having your period and running 20 miles on the 2nd and worst day to get out there (yeah, tell me about it!), the nonstop feeling like you are either going to pee or crap yourself while running. The occasional tummy rumblings, the gas (pain and passing of....such a bonding experience with your girlfriends!LOL). The bathroom stops in the woods or dark alley ways (I have YET to do either of these but girls, you know who you are!), the changing of feminine products on the road...hey you do what has to be done, period! No pun intended. :o) Then comes the ice baths, the "You smell like a grandma" ben gay patches, the DREADED stair case you have no choice but to go up and down a million times, the sore toes that EVERY ONE OF THE KIDS somehow find a way to step on, and let's not forget the black toe nails/missing toe nails (which I'm proud to say I haven't had that happen yet either!!!).

Then there are those lovely aches and pains...yes, the knees, the hammies, the quads, the calves, the glutes...oh they all ache but it feels good. It makes me feel like I DID something! Crazy as it sounds, this running stuff isn't so bad.

Now whether or not I'll EVER run a marathon again after Austin, not sure about that. This training is tough, the commitment is some serious stuff, and I'm just not sure I love it THAT much to continue on. We will see.

I don't know why I do it.

I love feeling the sense of accomplishment as I sit and reflect on my run 12 hours later. 12 hours ago I thought THIS SUCKS, this isn't normal, why do people do it!!?? But now I sit back and think, well it wasn't THAT bad, no actually, it was AWESOME! LOL

Like I said, I think I'm a little crazy.

How in the HELL am I going to add 6 more when I barely made it to 20?

All heart, I guess.

Here's to "Running My Race"!! Now the taper to race day begins! :o)