Yesterday morning I had plans to meet my running buddy for my first double digit run since my half marathon in the spring. 10 miles was on the training plan. We made plans last week to meet at 6:30 at my gym to run the local greenway. My alarm was set and I was out of bed by 6am. I got dressed and was putting on my right shoe when I heard my phone buzz. My first thought was, "She's running late, no big deal..." So, I got up and checked my phone. Gah..GI issues so our run was gonna be a no go for her..
I sorta cried a little. How was I going to run 10 miles alone? NO way was I going at 6:30 am while it was still dark out to do it. I undress, crawled back in bed with my hubby, told him I was a loser and went back to sleep. I woke up at 9am and told my hubby I was loser again for not just going. I told him that after church, IF I could get a sitter, I would just go run my 10 at the gym on the treadmill. I would run 5, take a potty break and refuel and go back to another TM for the last 5. Sounded like a good enough plan, huh!?
Well, there was a lunch after church and hubby had a football meeting. He told me he hoped to be done so he could get the kids and I could go. I was down, bad. So, after lunch the kids and I went home where I told them to go straight to my bedroom. We took off our church clothes and I made them crawl in bed with me. No tv. Just us and a little nap. For some reason they agreed, willingly. Perhaps it had to do with a little monetary bribery but hey, whatever works. We slept for 3 hours.
Still no sign of hubby and it was about 5pm. Poo. Oh well, the gym closes at 6 and I know there was no way I could run 10 miles in an hour. Hey, I am not an Olympic runner y'all!! lol Hubby text me and told me to dress, that he would meet me at Dick's. He had bought me some Mace. What a nice man!
I got my mace, my iPod, my Nuun and was set to go. I went to the park where I had planned to meet my friend and started running. I told myself and hubby that I would just run as far as I could stand to go and that would be good enough. All I needed at that point was to log some miles and get out of my bad mood. Running works for that. :)
At about 1.5 miles or so in I was about to run under a bridge/overpass when I saw the trail move. Crap (only I did not say crap), it was a snake. I am terrified of snakes. This underpass is dark, by a little stream and there were lots of rocks. MY thoughts went to what if there were more snakes that would slither from the rocks? Ick, I hate snakes. I backed up out of there because this snake was taking it's sweet time across the trail. Jerk. And I waited until a woman and her son, on bikes, crossed through. At that point I hauled ass through there. Whew.
I was feeling good and even though my plan was to not take a single walk break until 3 miles I was making good enough time. My long run pace should be (according to Runner's World nifty calculator) 12 minute miles. I was just barely over 10 min miles at this point which is a good comfortable pace for me. But I knew I could not maintain that for the entire 10 miles. Little did I know that in another mile or so I would be stopped again.
That's where the naked man comes in. There was a huge group of little boys and there parents on bikes. AND there were cops. Lots of them (ok, maybe only 8 cops..but still a lot). One of the cops was putting on gloves. I was only at about 2.5 miles or so out. I thought to myself, "IF I have to turn back now I will just be in the worst mood." So, I asked the cop if there was a reason I should not run forward and he said, "THere's a naked man in the woods but we have almost caught him." Ok, fine. There as a couple on bikes beside me and they were wondering what was going on so I told them. We chatted it up and kept going. I figured if we could get pass the little naked man ordeal I would be fine. The lady started asking me about how I got into running and what I was training for. That was a nice break in my run and before I knew it I was at almost 4 miles. I stopped a second to get some water and eat a Honey Stinger. That was the first time I had tried those and they seemed to be pretty good.
Most of the rest of my run was uneventful. I did text my hubby around mile 5 and tell him I may have him come get me. LOL I was out of water at that point and wasn't sure I could go another 5 miles without any, ya know. But I ended up passing a friend/former boss and he gave me a fist pump to which I said, "This sucks." And laughed while running on. I stopped at the water fountain to refill my bottle and take another Honey Stinger or two. That must have put a pep in my step because the next 5 miles are almost a blurr.
The last 5 miles I just ran. I thought maybe my legs were numb because I didn't stop. I didn't mess with pace. I just ran until my Garmin beeped and I was at 10 miles. Done. I did it. I did it solo. I ran alone (well just me and my iPod). I ran double digits for the first time since April. I was proud. And since my phone was ringing off the hook I answered to let the hubby know I made it. :)
I ran too far out from where I parked. I did that on purpose, sorta, because I thought that if I couldn't make it back to my car that I would at least make 8 miles and have hubby come get me. DIdn't need to do that thankfully. But that meant I had about 2 miles to walk back to my car. I thought for a second that I could just run it and make my run 12 miles but since my training plan was for 10 miles I would stick to that and use the last little while to reflect on my run and cool down.
I came back to the snakes underpass and freaked out. I was on the phone with the hubby and I seriously thought I was going to hyperventilate if I had to go through there. But I had to. So he told me to sprint through and I would be on the other side faster. I did. Done. We hung up.
Less than a quarter mile up the trail I had the crap scared out of me by a couple of teenagers on a bike. I was lost in my thoughts and heard him yell, " ON your left!" Crap. I jumped, I squeeled. And then when he laughed going by me I said, "it's bad enough I am already freaked out being here alone." Shoot, dumbass why did I tell him that?! Then I was like what if those guys try to take me and gang rape me or some crap. At least I had my mace! haha It's so weird the thoughts that go through your head. I probably wouldn't have even worried a bit had it been daylight but since the sun was beginning to set and I still had a bit to go to get to the car I was mildly freaked out. Luckily there were lots of other bikers, mostly families, on the trail so that eased my thoughts and I made it back to the car.
I picked up pizza on the way home. I earned those two slices just for the mere fact that I overcame the mental obstacle and ran ten 10 miles solo!
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