A Little Help From My Friends

I must say, I never thought I would feel so great after a 20 mile run!

Don’t get me wrong…it was very very difficult. In fact, I was NOT in the mood and I really didn’t think I was going to make it.

Let me back up…

It is not a good sign when you don’t sleep very well because you are dreaming that you wake up an hour and a half late for your 20-miler. Stress. Plus, I just really really didn’t feel like doing 20 miles. I had carb loaded all day Friday, went to bed early, etc, but it just didn’t matter. Plus, I was stupid and wore my skirt without the pockets, so I had no place for my Gu. My running buddy, Lindsey suggested sticking them in my sports bra. Knowing my history of chafing, I made sure I used BodyGlide first. It ended up working out perfectly! So now I have a new trick.

We were off to a slow start, with a 13 minute first mile. Everyone I run with started freaking out because we were going too slow. I was like “No! No! I would rather go slow at first and have energy at the end!” We weaved our way through Hyde Park and then through Mariemont. It seemed to take forever. I couldn’t believe that our first water stop was only 3.5 miles in. I was already tired.

The way the run was set up was that it was 16.75 miles. If you wanted to add on, you could do the 1.7 mile loop in the middle of the run 2 more times, or you could add 4 miles on at the end. My group decided on the pretty, flat, 1.7 miles in Mariemont in the middle of the run rather than adding on at the end. Not only is it a mental block to end at the Running Spot and then know you have 4 miles to go, but those 4 miles happened to be in Eden Park which means HILLS. We were also like “Aww. It’s so cute here! I’m glad we’re doing our loops here!” But by the third loop we were like “AGH! Get me out of Mariemont!” As we ran out onto Wooster Pike Sarah even said “Wow! Civilization! I feel like I’m back out of 1940!”

By this time I was feeling like it was the longest run ever. Sarah felt like it was the shortest run ever and Lindsey said she felt in-between. That made me laugh.

Next came Wooster Road. Let me just say…I have a new appreciation for Eastern. I just canNOT run on industrial roads. They make me crazy. Not to mention the fact that some of it did not have sidewalks and I felt like I was going to be run over by a car. I was so glad I have driven that way to my friend’s, because I knew where I was going and didn’t second guess myself. All the girls kept asking “are you SURE we are going the right way?” Then Sarah and I saw a big group of people. I thought it was weird because there shouldn’t be another water stop for awhile. They were all wearing really bright colors. Like day-glo orange. Yes, they were a juvenile detention work crew. Bizarre, the things you see on your runs. ☺

By the time we made it to Lunken I really didn’t know if my legs could move anymore. Lindsey and I debated walking when we got to Delta. I was not looking forward to our home stretch. We only had 4.25 miles left, but it was all up hill.

I shot another Gu. I have to admit…they are awesome. Lindsey laughs at me because she says I ‘take them like a pro’ now. They keep my legs going when I swear there is no human way that my legs could still be moving.

I thought about walking even more as we finally hit Delta. But my legs just kept moving. I wasn’t going to stop them. But by this time my body was in robot mode. So much so, that when I could not go straight because a car was blocking a driveway in front of me it took TONS of effort (mental and physical) to go around it.

We stopped for water one last time with a little more than a mile to go. I walked two blocks to Stettinius, and started running again. I knew I had exactly one mile left. When we got to the O’Bryonville shops I even kicked it up a notch. I looked at my watch. 3:30!!!!

I have no idea how that is possible, but I was soooooooo pumped. I realized that if it wasn’t for the girls, I would not have done it. I so would have been walking for a lot of those 20. I was so impressed with us! Hurrah!