new PDR!!

..personal distance record, that is!!

I got up this morning and polished off the rest of my green monster from yesterday, and did the BCF dvd before hopping in the car and heading to the Salt Marsh Trail to meet my friend Josh. The only goal I had for the run was to make it at least 6km (which is what my training plan called for). The last time we ran together was exactly four weeks ago, and he said that he noticed I was definitely more fit than last time. I wasn't complaining (at least not until the very end.. more on that later!) and I didn't stop to walk, not once! This in itself is huge. The last time we ran I kept taking walking breaks and he had to keep encouraging me to keep running. It was also 18 degrees and today was more like 3... but I digress.

Initially, we didn't think there were distance markers on the trail, but lo and behold there were. at the 2 km mark we saw a sign saying we had 4.5 km until the end of the trail. At this point I was thinking, okay, that means we'll run 1 more km and turn around.. but I was also feeling pretty good, so I thought alright, we'll wait and see what happens. It turns out 6.5 km happened, and we reached the end of the trail. Running with someone and talking really makes the time fly!

We turned around, and I was still feeling pretty good. Around the 7km mark my tummy started rumbling, and I kept thinking about the clementines I had waiting for me in the car! Honestly, that is one of the things that kept me going. Knowing I had food at the end.. it was my proverbial carrot. At the 8km mark it hit me.. I was going to set a PDR! We had to get back to our cars, so that means I had to cover 13km, one way or another. The most I have ever run before was 11km, waaayy back in 2007, or with Josh a month ago (but I'm not exactly sure how long that was.. somewhere between 10 and 11km).

At the 9km mark I was starting to feel it, and my legs were hurting. I didn't wear my new kicks because I didn't know what the conditions were going to be like. My feet were telling me that was a mistake.

10 km! Oh hey! That's how long my race is in 5 weeks. No big thing. Except I'm a little dizzy.

At 11km I was thinking, "Alright, I eat 2 km runs for BREAKFAST. Breakfast.. mmm.. boy would I love some oatmeal, or french toast, or eggs, or.. I have CLEMENTINES in the car! Should brought them with me. Okay, I can do this." We are no longer talking at this point.

12 km: New PDR!! Ow ow ow ow. My legs are crampinggg.

At 12.5 km I smashed into the "wall" that runners talk about. I hit it, hard. My legs were still moving but I couldn't really feel them.

I pushed it for the last 100m and finished with a smashing high five and a fist pump that would make any guido proud. We compared blisters, chugged water, and then I dug into those clementines like you wouldn't believe. It was great running with someone because Josh acted a bit like my "rabbit", running 7-8 feet in front of me, and I tried to match my footfalls with his. Plus, we got caught up at the same time. It was a great day!

I came home, ate lunch, showered, and went to bed! I'm exhausted. Maybe that was a bit mucch this early on.. haha! Also, apparently I burned roughly 800 calories. EIGHT HUNDRED!!! I'm stoked because this now means I get to replace those calories with FOOD. Boy, do I love eating.

Stats
Time: Around 90 mins*
Length: 13 km!!!!!
Weather: 5 degrees, overcast and windy
Feeling: HOLY COW I AM A TANK ... also, I am in pain. Ow.

*I should point out to everyone who knows Josh that he is very capable of going faster than 7 min/km. Much faster. But he was nice and jogged at my pace, which is significantly slower. Thanks!