26.2 baby

Done...DONE DONE DONE.

Dad and I completed one of our (okay MY) hardest training weeks yet.  As of yesterday at 2pm, I had logged 62 miles IN ONE WEEK!  I remember only months ago  when I just started running thinking that 30+ was a big deal.  WOW.   On Wednesday, we ran about 12 miles.  The first one was a warm up...the second one was an all out fast mile and the rest was a tempo run.  Dad told me, just before we started, that the top speed mile would be one of my biggest challenges thus far...YIKES--I thought the big old mountain run was my hardest challenge.  

We were at the track and the goal was for me to run one mile as fast as I could.  After two laps...I noticed that my legs felt a very warm sensation....Um yeah...I peed ALL OVER myself.  It was almost as if I was so focused on the muscles that needed attention that I forgot about my tiny pea sized bladder (and how is it that such a small bladder holds so much liquid?).  Oops.  We finished the mile in 6:35!  MAN I was so proud.  My legs were drenched and we still had 10 miles of speed work to go.  Needless to say, by about the 7th mile, my pants had dried and I was fine....and able to laugh about it.   Thank goodness I had on black spandex pants...so hopefully no one in the Thomasville area noticed some chick running in 50 degree weather with wet pants on :-)  If you did..yes that was me and YES it was urine.

THEN on Saturday we set out at 7am to run just over 26.2 miles.  During the first few miles, I knew this run was going to be difficult.  It was humid and muggy and the wind was CRAZY.  Despite the very warm weather, I opted for a long sleeved Under Armor shirt...silly me...should have really checked the weather!  By around the 16th mile my inner thighs were burning like crazy...I guess from the sweat and my shorts were not long enough to keep my upper thighs from touching (by the last mile...they were bleeding).  Nice!  BUT we completed almost 27 miles on Saturday and our last mile was at an 8:30 pace.  WOW...it felt like the slowest, longest mile I have ever run.  I would love for you guys to experience the feeling of running THAT far and that long and then stop at then end to walk...my entire body instantly warned me that if I tried to jump or squat, it would seriously rebel on me.  Funny that nothing hurt while running, but once we stopped we both started limping.  

Soooo....

we have one more sort of difficult Saturday run (16 miles at race pace) and then we are off to taper...and stock up on Vitamin C 

Most importantly before I go...

I have to give 20 miles worth of credit to my husband...I don't think I could have run a single mile over the 6 mile mark without his support and excitement.   He actually looks forward to his Saturday mornings with Layla...taking her out for breakfast and on trips to Lowes.  He scoops my ice cream for me on Wednesday nights after doing first, hills and then speed work.  And more than anything, he lets me know how proud he is of me...rather than letting on for a minute that he thinks I'm a nut job for doing all of this stuff.  Thanks, love ;-)