Chapter 2 page 430 - TR 161 10.55 solo miles

For anyone who has read this blog for even 5 minutes knows that I.DON'T.RUN.ALONE!!!!!  I'm 100% a social runner (Gourmet Runner referred to me as a dog runner . . . versus a cat runner - YES I AM!).  I occasionally have to do a 3 or 4 miler by myself, and although I much prefer my running partners to do it with me, I can pull up my big girl pants and get it done ALONE (sigh!).  Long runs, though - they are a completely different story.  I need help - I need people - I need distraction - I need my running partners!  This week's running schedule has gotten all screwed up with having a holiday on Monday and 2 straight days of pouring rain and work and other commitments . . . end result, "C" and I still had to do our long runs . . . . alone!  Spoiler alert - there was NO rolling around in the grass for me!!!  You may remember THIS post from last spring when I had to do a 10 miler alone . . . .it was a horrible experience resulting in me nearly crawling the last 1.5 miles (it was 10.36 miles in 2:39:20 = 15:22 m/m).  NOT this time baby (10.55 miles in 2:26 = 13:47 m/m)  !!!  Revenge - take that 10 mile route!!!

While stretching after the run - I just had to capture the "I actually did that and lived!" look :)

 Here's the details (for those of you who care):

Miles 0-1.13 = this is one of my favorite paths to run on (it's sooo beautiful with the leaves just barely beginning to turn colors and will only continue to get more and more beautiful in the upcoming weeks).  I started off with a 10 minute walking warm up.

Miles 1.13-5.5 = I fueled at mile 4.  I tried to focus on form and running by effort rather than time (which I couldn't really do because I didn't have "C" with me so . . . no Garmin).  Funny thing happened along the way . . . I passed these 2 elderly folks who a year ago pretty much told me I was FAT and that's why I was sweating so much more than they were (UM, yes AND that I had already run 6 miles by the time "C" and I saw them).  THIS TIME - THEY SAID I WAS FAST!!!  Yes, Yes I am (getting there).  Starting around mile 4 - I had to mentally break down the run . . . . it was freaking me out to think that I alone had 6 more miles so I forced myself to break it WAY down . . . I'm going to that curve, then that bench then the porta john and then the mail box and so on . . . one landmark at a time that wasn't really very far away (usually about 100 yards or so).  I kept that up for the rest of the run. 

Miles 5.5-7.5 = I fueled at mile 7.  At about mile 6 I passed one of my running friends who I also know from work.  We had a quick 2 minute chat and I was off again.  I'm not going to say this part felt hard - but it did feel as if it took a bit more mental concentration than I had needed until then.  I continued on - never missing an interval.  Just me, my jamz, and my desire to prove I could do it . . . .alone!

Miles 7.5 - 8.5 =  felt really hard - not so much physically but definitely mentally.  I was on a busy highway and began to think about how far I still had to go (I have to avoid doing that - nothing positive comes from that).  I was still pretty strong and one amazing thing that happened was that 2 police offers passed me.  In the past I would have desperately wanted to flag them down and BEG them for a ride - but I just waved and smiled and didn't even think about wanting a ride (which, by the way, I've never actually gotten).

Miles 8.5-9.5 = I wanted to be done.  I had mentally been working on a plan for these final 2 miles.  I had a strong desire to push the pace during the runs as a way to test myself and to keep the intensity high for this workout even though it wasn't killing me).  Miles 8.5-9.0 were pretty much like the other miles.  Easy, steady, and strong.  At about mile 9 - a man stopped me and he was very nice.  He was awed by my distance.  He said that I had run past his house about an hour ago and he couldn't believe I was still out there.  He is the owner of the amateur boxing gym in town (so he told me) and was bummed to learn I was 36 years old (apparently the upper age max for amateur boxing is 35 . . . was he trying to say I'd make a good boxer? Hmm, I can kick some butt I guess).  Anyway that was a nice 2 minute chat that left me feeling really good about myself.  Miles 9.0-9.5 I definitely picked up the running interval's pace.  The last interval before the 9.5 mark was a full out sprint - I truly concentrated on turning over my feet quickly and having as short of a contact with the ground as possible.

Miles 9.5-10.55 = After that final sprint, I was left winded and spent to say the least.  I'm glad that I did it, but it was a maximal effort for sure!  I walked sooo slowly for about 5 minutes (maybe a few more - can't remember) trying to catch my breath.  I decided that I could just walk the rest as a cool down, but . . . I quickly got bored so I decided to jog .5 miles and then walk the last .25 miles as a cool down.

All in all - it was by far the BEST solo long run I've ever done.  It never felt impossible- though the last mile began to hurt quite a bit and felt as if it were never going to end, but I kept going one foot in front of the other.  Tomorrow - I'm doing a morning 5K race that I hope to use as speed work (bummer the timing of these 2 runs is back to back . . . it's the best I could do this week).

Do you ever have to alter your training schedule and have to do a run following your long run?

Yep - more often than I would prefer, but . . . at least I'm getting the runs in, right?

Any suggestions for overcoming the muscle fatigue that I'm sure will occur?

I just can't imagine an ice bath - I know a couple of you live to run so you can have one - you're juch storng women!!!!  I'm a big fan of The Stick and an ointment called Tei Fu