Soooo It's been a while since I blogged. May is really busy for me with the end of the school year, things to do, things to wrap up, PTA duties to be accomplished and completed.
Since my 10-mile race I have run 10 times, all different distances.
7.39 miles 1.28.03
10.12 miles 1.51.08
and on Memorial Day
12.41 miles 2.28.46
Most of my other runs have been with running club members, especially the long runs, but my longest distance, I ran on my own, by myself, while on vacation, just me and the road.
I was unsure of the route. I'd used MMR prior to leaving for vacay to get a sense of where I could run at and how I would get these 12 miles in without having to make the same 1.5 mile loop. Honestly I was pretty freaked out about it.... How/Where would I fuel, get water, run....
Before we left for vacay I was in a full on panic!! I was feeling like I wouldn't get this run in and I was feeling unprepared for the half.
I got up about 6:30, I got all my stuff together and came up with a water/fuel stop plan. I text to my friends running The Patriot in my hometown. I ate my Honey Stinger Waffle. I got my waters ready. My fuel ready.
I headed out. At first my legs felt like lead. I was sore and I just didn't want to run this distance. I needed to get it done but y'all know how I am with the 'what ifs" even when I run at home. Now here I am in the back woods of Beavers Bend!! The "lions and tigers and bears, oh my" theme was playing in my head.
I made it to through the first 2.5 miles and headed back to camp for water and fuel and was feeling pretty good. If I had to keep that loop I was gonna be OK. And it worked out that I left my things at camp, I didn't have to carry anything with me. :)
Each time I got more courageous, I would run further in to new territory. Down a path or road I hadn't been on, not even in the car!! Some of our cousins were at a camp site down the way, I found them and stopped to talk to them for a bit. Then I headed back to camp and re-fueled.
5 miles down, 7 to go. I was making good time, keeping a good pace. On my next loop I look a ways down the road and see something in the distance, I wasn't sure what it was but it wasn't moving, so I disregarded it as a box or something and kept going. As I got closer I saw that it was a deer. Then I realized there was one on my left and my right!! I'm looking at them and they are looking at me. Who was gonna play chicken first!! LOL
Deer on the left ran over to the deer on the right, but what I couldn't see around the bend was the buck!! I came around the corner and he leapt out across the road!! KA RA ZEE!! That gave me a bit of a fright.
I had seen deer a few other times as well, but not that close up on a run!
I made another loop, refueled and had 3.5 miles to go!! Whaaat?? I could barely believe it.
Now at this point I was tired, I'm not gonna kid you. I was ready for this run to be over. My in laws were waiting for me to be done. I really wanted to give in and only run 10. But when I heard the prompt in my ear...... 9.99 miles, I started to tear up. I had just run 10 miles by myself. I felt fine. I was ok. I had taken chances, run in new territory, run past/with deer and I was still here to tell about it.
Those last few miles are my proudest. It was getting to be later in the morning and there was a lot of traffic on the road. I did quite a bit of stopping and starting to dodge the trucks, truck with boats, trucks with campers, trucks with trailers, other cars and motorcycles. It was hard to be mid-hill and stop then start back up again.
But I did it. And I ran 12.41 miles!! I almost kept going to 13.1, but I set out to only run 12 and I was over that milage so I stopped.
I was tired and sore but I DID IT!!
My splits are all over the place, though.
1 9.31 (too fast!!)
2. 11.53
3. 12.42
4. 10.15
5. 11.41
6. 12.24
7. 12.50
8. 11.24
9. 12.19
10. 12.52
11. 12.39
12. 12.08
.41 14.50
My slower miles are uphill and let me tell you there were hills!!
It's a run and done!! WOOT! I'm glad I persevered, I ran my milage. I did it by myself. The ladies I'm running with at Wounded Warrior are faster than me, so I will be in a different corral and essentially be by myself for the half.
A friend that was gonna run this race that is about my pace backed out too. Both of the people I consider to by my running coaches won't be at the race. One will be out of town and the other can't make it.
I'm not sure that my family will be there..... so in retrospect I really needed to run that 12 miles alone. I proved to myself that I have what it takes. I have the ability.
Three years and 5 days post tailbone injury, I will run my first half!! WOOT!
But this weekend is my 2nd annual Bloomin' 4-mile DRC Race. Last year I signed up for the DRC after the Mothers Day 1/2 that I watched my running buddies in. Jerome, Nancy, Jen and others.
Jerome of course encouraged me to sign up for DRC and I did. My first DRC race was The Bloomin' 4-mile. It was also the first race I ran with my oldest son. It was a good day. I ran an ok race. I was still in the wrong shoes and having all the wrong shoe problems.
This year my goal is to finish in under 45 minutes. It's a great race! My kiddo is coming and my cousin, it's her first race ever, and a friend I've talked into being a DRC member as well.
Jerome says he'll be there too!! WOOT! :)
It's amazing how much has changed in a year. A year ago I was scared about running this race. I was even more panicked about running the Independence Day Race in July 10K! Three days ago I ran double that distance!!
I'm uninjured and I feel prepared to run my first half!! I'm not scared of it, I'm ready for it. I've moved beyond 98% scared 2% excited to 98% excited and 2% scared, as I look at the forecast that calls for rain. Bring it!! At least we won't be hot. :)
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