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!!
