I was instructed by Shaun that I better not fluff this week's blog with smiles and lines like "Oh, yes 18 miles done and feeling GREAT!". He mentioned this as I was immobile on the couch with a bottle of gatorade wrapped in my hands like a teddy bear, a bottle of ibuprofin and icy hot strewn about the room. Damn him for calling me out!
So yes, 18 miles DONE. And, let's be clear..it was not an easy 18. However, I AM feeling great and psyched that the marathon is only 4 weeks away!
This weekend, I decided to do the long run on Saturday morning with my friend and client, Kerry, who is also running Boston. I usually run on Sundays, but the forecast did not look good for Sunday and there was no way I was going run in flash flood conditions. Therefore, I woke up Saturday morning at 6 am, lubed up the feet, filled the feul belt and headed to FitCorp. FitCorp organizes group runs every Saturday morning for Boston Charity runners, and on this rainy Saturday, about 50 runners came ready to brave the windy, wet roads.
We started at 8am downtown at One Beacon Street, and ran 9 miles out to Newton and back, hitting Heartbreak Hill on the second half, just in time for the rain to pick up. Kerry and I chatted for the first 10 miles and I was feeling strong until about mile 15. The wind was wipping and we were soaked. The hills rolled on, and although I was running stronger than last week, I could tell my heart was breaking...more mentally than physically (obviously). I was honestly ready to be done with the rain and done with the run.
At one point, I was running alone and feeling the mental pain so much that I literally said outloud to myself "C'mon NAT - GO!". It worked for a while (and so did the Billy Joel song "Second Wind" that randomly started playing on my iPod) until the last few miles. Around mile 16, my hip decided to cease up. I felt like I ran the last leg on one leg (pun intended). But I finished, and Shaun picked me up at 11 am soggy and sweaty, but accomplished.
I know I sound a bit negative, but honestly, I really enjoyed the run despite the part about the rain and the minor hip issue. I LOVED it actually. There is nothing more exhilirating than knowing you're up at the ass crack of dawn to push yourself past your mental and physical limits. Not to mention, doing it for someone I care so much about and a cause like Melanoma makes it all worth it.
So it goes, I spent my entire Saturday afternoon stretching my hip, foam rolling and sleeping. By Saturday night I was feeling great (SEE SHAUN, I was feeling GREAT!!) and we headed out for a delicious dinner at the bar at Chez Henri. After a run like that, the.wine.was.awesome. =)
And thus, Sunday started my road to recovery. I headed to Baptiste Yoga to get some healing heat into my crampy hip. Then, I got a lower body massage from my favorite girl at Healthworks, Michelle B. As a runner, I recommend yoga and massage for anyone doing long distances. Massages used to be considered a luxury for me, but have now turned into a necessity.
I am a feeling great today and happy that I have only one long run (The big 2-O!!) in a few weeks. I can't believe it is almost here. The training has seemed quick, but the running community and support from everyone has made it easier. A big thank you to the people that came out on Saturday and gave us gatorade and jellie bellies on the route - I assume you were much colder and wetter than we were!
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