Sunday, August 05, 2007

A Really Long Run

Firstly. big shout out to Mia and Tommy....you guy's rock and we had the BEST time yesterday at Marine World. Oh, and let it be known that Mia is Cut-Throat on the Go Cart race track. we heart you guy's!

i've had one solid track session and several decent runs since my last post. i did everything right...mind you that's not the same as fast but i was happy and felt much more positive afterwards.

i'm starting to get back into the groove with my running. i stammered and struggled to explain to mia yesterday where my heads been with running lately. i've been a bit lax...for the last oh, month and really swamped by my life and my tendency to compare myself with people ... people typically way out of my league.

i got to bed so late last night and i was really dreading my long run today but i knew there was no getting out of it especially after blowing off yesterday's 6 miler.

it was kinda weird getting ready this morning...it's been so long since i ran on trails that i couldn't find my Montrails, it took me awhile to remember where they were. the schedule called for 9 miles plus the 6 i missed yesterday but secretly, i had another distance in mind and one look outside at the cool grey weather i knew today i just might hit 20 miles.

i decided to run my race route. i tried running a mile then walking but got annoyed as it would have me running hills and walking flats so i improvised. i had a plan and i was determined to get to Redwood with enough gas in the tank to get back.

i haven't been out here in awhile and i even got off course following some girl we both realized we got off track( it was really foggy up on the ridge) and backtracked up to the main trail about a 1/4 mile. we chatted briefly, i got the impression she preferred her own company...just as well she was moving faster than i was, running all the hills. i felt that twinge to try to keep up but i kept to my plan.

as i entered Huckleberry Botanical Preserve i remembered that this was were i got stung by that mean fly lastime. well i was a little freaked when i got to the narrow single track and had to brush up against allot of foliage, it was then i felt a sharp pain..in my left quad. was it the stinging nettle that flanked both sides of the narrow trail or was it a bite? i didn't stick around to investigate and got the hell out of there fast. looking at my thigh now there does appear to be a small bite of some kind but it's a minor annoyance compared to the BEE STING i acquired later on down the path.

no shit, i arrive at Redwood all happy and pumped up about my progress so far when while farting around with my pack i feel another sharp sensation on the back of my neck...high up on the hair line. luckily i had my gloves on and i was able to pull the little fucker out of my hair without actually having to touch it. i then removed my gloves to pull out the stinger. that's when i made the decision to deviate from the route and i ran on Skyline until i got to Sibley again.

so a combination of good weather and strategic planning (wink wink) and some 5 hours and 21 minutes later this gal rocked her first 20 miler (20.70 for the record)

i think things are starting to turn around. woohoo!!