I knew it was going to be tough. I was running on tired legs after having done three solid runs this week plus one walk around a fairly hilly zoo yesterday. And my schedule had me with a week in between twenties, but it didn't work out that way. I don't think I've ever run two twenties in a row. I don't think I really ever want to do that again. But today, I earned the taper.
I got about three miles into my run, and I realized that my shoes were not tied properly. They kept loosening to the point of annoying me, and I thought I wasn't going to put up with that nonsense for the rest of the run. So, I plunked down on the side of the road to re-lace. I was out on a road that has, I believe, one house in a two-mile stretch. The rest of it is farmland. I seldom get passed by a vehicle. Today, I did. While I was sitting on the side of the road. Tying my shoes. The driver kind of hit the brake lights, but then he kept on driving. I got up and started to run again (feeling much better about my shoes) when it started to drizzle. Just enough drizzle to keep me content but enough to make me concerned that more was to come.
Five more minutes in, the man in the truck came back. He had driven past me, and he had gotten all the way into town when he had seen the rain coming, so he turned around to come back to see if I needed a ride. Seriously. A full five minutes after he had left me. Our town is small enough that in that five minutes, he probably had gotten all the way to his house and parked in the driveway before coming back for me. How amazing is that that he would come all the way back to check on me? (And I know. I need to be cautious out there. Believe me, I get myself into a strange headspace about running on such a remote road at times. But today, I just want to think that was pretty darn cool.)
Ten miles in, and I was running well enough. I was hitting my intervals for my run/walk, and I was on pace to be where I was last week on my 20 miler. Unfortunately, my legs felt like they had last week after fifteen miles. Crap. Honestly, I set out this morning knowing I was going to have to tough it out no matter what. I was just hoping the tough it part wouldn't come so soon.
13 miles in, and I realized I was running low on water. Lucky ducky me, though, I run past the IGA in town. And I had $2.00 with me. I used $1.00 to buy some water from the vending machine out front. And with the other $1.00, I ran in the store and bought some of those peanut butter crackers that come in the little packet. The guy in front of me in line let me cut--I'm not sure if it was my small purchase or because he was trying to do everyone in there a favor and get my stinky butt out of there as fast as possible. But when I stepped up to pay, he asked me if I was running back to the next town. This surprised me a little, and I said that I was kind of headed that way. Turns out he's been a runner before (not running now), so he's seen me running around town. Small town strikes again.
15 miles in, I called my husband to let him know that I was starting to hurt, but I was going to finish, so I didn't want him to worry about when I would be arriving at home. And the last five miles took a really, really, really long time. But I finished.
So when I hit the Flying Pig course, I would really like to feel like I did last week. I hope that taper will do that for me. If I feel like I did this week, it's going to be a long day. But I earned the taper. And an Anchor Steam. (My DH went out and bought me Bell's Oberon and Anchor Steam today...how lucky am I?)
No comments:
Post a Comment