15 Miles, just because.

The alarm went off, as it usually does, at 5am. (I don't remember the last time I slept past 6:30am, weekday OR weekend!) Chris grumbled something and rolled over, taking all of the covers with him. So I know that I would either lay here cold or I would get up out of bed to go run my 15-16 miles today. I gingerly stepped out of bed, not stepping on Lola (who demands to sleep right next to me on the floor and NOT her bed). I walked into the bathroom and turned the light on. Ugh. I was not feeling this run. I got dressed (Oiselle Distance Shorts, Nike Singlet, ProCompression Socks, and I was ready to go. I munched on a PowerBar while I walked to the car. I hopped in the car and headed, in the pitch dark, to Memorial Park.

My plan was to run a loop or two (1 loop = 2.98 miles) before the group (Bayou City Road Runners) gather for the Sunday 6:30am start. I got to Memorial, finished drinking my water + NUUN and walked over the to track/trail (its crushed granite). I was surprised by how many people were already out running! Normally these pre-group runs are desolate and sometimes a bit scary.

NOT PEE - Back Sweat Gone Wrong

I started out on my loop and I had trouble finding my "stride". I was too consumed with where my foot was placing, how my knees looks, where my arms where.. That the first mile was relatively non-enjoyable. I hit mile 2 and my mind started to wander... I thought about work, about my family, about my childhood - then I started to sing! (I know, I'm that crazy girl). For some strange reason I started to sing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"... Now, remember - I am not alone on this trail! People were just gawking at me when I was running by. I finished the last mile just in time to meet up with the group. Half of the group was going out long (adding an additional 2 miles) and some decided they were going out short (just 10 miles total). I decided I would go short, since I already did 3 and just do 2 miles or one more loop when I got back to the park. We set out and I found myself paced with this girl, who apparently knew me but I didn't remember ever meeting her. Maybe she had read my BCRR News Article about Chicago Marathon... She started talking which always makes the time fly by. We stopped at the first water station (mile 3) and I grabbed a Gu and some water. I decided to leave the group a little early and finish my run. Most of the group hangs around the water station and talks a bit. So I set off, on the next leg of the run. I felt a slight twinge in my right knee which I immediately knew was my IT Band. I would need to roll it out after this run. When I hit mile 6, I grabbed another water (at the second water station). I hung around and talked about NYC Marathon with a few other runners.. Then again decided to head off. This time I could really feel my IT Band, I hobbled a few steps before I could find my pace again. The last leg of the run was fine, my knee gave me hell - so I slowed my pace a bit. I had run back to the starting point and decided to keep going to mile 16, but my knee thought otherwise. I stopped at 15 and walked back to meet the group at the finish.

Surprisingly I wasn't sore and my feet held up ok! I have been having some feet issues the last couple weeks which have been nothing but annoying!!!! It was a nice long run, nothing eventful, nothing dramatic, nothing too hard.. Average pace was 9:45, slow and steady. A great run for the books!!

One funny thing that happened is when I came back to the bathroom area to get water in my handheld, I noticed that the sweat from my back (I'm a back sweater!!) had dripped down into the pantie lining of my Oiselle shorts and had discolored them in the girlie region.... Making it look like I peed in my pants... I totally laughed it off, despite the embarrassment. I heart those shorts.