Wow! I have now completed 24.8 walking/running miles and 20 miles on a bike during organized events.... Today was my longest Run/walk.... The 10k Chicago Women Rock. I was all over the map emotionally on this one going in-excited, nervous, terrified... Yes, nervous and terrified... Self-doubt was creeping in... Did I bite off more than I can chew . Crazy dreams and very little sleep last night.... But felt ready this morning. Then we started.... Was good the first mile. Something happened mile 2.... It felt like I had been running forever and it had only been 29 minutes? I nearly started crying, nearly stopped. I have never felt so overwhelmed. 4.2 MORE miles. How can I do it?
Ever have a song come on and it just hits a chord, pushes you on, makes you think think "I got this". In comes the lyrics "Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up. But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength, and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up, and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you just wanna fall flat on your face and collapse...... Go left, go left, go left, right, left......." Now... This is NOT part if my playlist. I ended up in my son's workout playlist for this run. Eminem saved my run...... My son's playlist was great..... Every time I thought "WTH was I thinking?" And the song I needed came on! Thinking I need him to redo mine. The Eminem song came one three times today.... And each time, the lyrics kept my head where it needed to be. Music is such an important part of my life and I truly think it can make or break a day.
And then there is just something about running along the lakefront. The temp was low 60's, a breeze, lapping waves on the lake and sail boats dotting the skyline. Somewhere around the last mile or so, it was so beautiful I wished I could stop to take a picture. But I knew if I stopped or paused..... I might not find the rhythm again.
And no, I am not loopy on a runner's high ok.... Are you still reading this, here is the ugly.
A-hole bikers. It was posted at every entry to the lakefront path about the event, that it will be congested and expect it. Mile 2-4 is the up and back. It is CROWDED. To the lady who was trying to fly through at about 20 miles an hour and screaming at us "get the hell to the sides, some of us are trying to get through here"... You lady are why we runners and walkers think riders are a-holes.
Running + need to pee = horrid side stitch..... Thank heaven for the mile 2.5 portapotties!
My right shoe.... Around mile 4.... The inside of my shoe developed a weird farty feeling... And like the cushioning was off. Lemons and lemonade... There is a dirt shoulder to the path- took to running on that and I wish I would have tried that much earlier! So much nicer on the knees and hips.
Did not drink enough pre-race apparently and the breeze made for AWESOME shivers the 2 miles, especially in the shade. Had two cute little old ladies who were doing the half tell me "Deary, you are shivering and not sweating...... You need to drink more or slow down". So I drank as much as I could without puking...... Which is not much.. But did drink a cup at each water station plus what I carried....
All said.... I CANT WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR! Totally doing the 5 mile Schaumburg Turkey Trot! I got this!
And here are my Thank You shout outs-
Dani Vitale- for driving, for keeping me calm and enduring my prattling, for keeping me believing I can do this.
To AJ and Ian at XSport- not just for the training but for making me enjoy going to the gym.....
To Anke Smith and Kim Miller- for being great friends and cheerleaders.
To my kid for not hating the Saturday mornings that I abandon him to run.
And, to the wonder of Spotify/iTunes/the awesome music industry because if I had to run without music.... I could not run!
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