I knew it had to be done. I had marked 22 miles on my calendar (wishful thinking!) planned for 20 and finished at just over 19. Not too shabby for an early morning activity!
I didn't stay up too late Saturday night and was able to start off early Sunday morning. It was a little foggy and overcast to begin but soon cleared up and turned into a hot sunny day. I decided to given the Trail another go - this time with much more preparation on my part. I only got lost a few times but was never too worried. It was SUCH a beautiful day and there were tons of people out and about. It always makes me so excited and happy to see others enjoying the weather and exercising!
I trekked from my home to where I thought a connector would meet up with the trail. Either I misread the map online or that part of the trail was underwater (the trail runs right next to the river and we are currently at a fairly high flood level) so I was a little lost and confused right from the beginning. But no fear - I simply made a loop back towards my place and started out on the path I usually take until I was able to meet up with the trail further North.
I had mapped out my run beforehand and knew the general direction I was headed but didn't really know what to expect along the way. I love to use mapmyrun.com and highly recommend it. I personally prefer the classic site to the newer version but it's user's choice. Because the trail has so many twists and turns it was a little bit difficult to track exactly how far the final distance officially clocked in at but it was definitely between 19 and 20 miles. (There was also my little slip-up loop at the beginning that I had not planned for ahead of time.) I also use the Nike+ system which confirmed my distance but I know my unit is not correctly calibrated ... so I always take those results with a grain of salt.
As I kept on running, I was lucky to experience lots of new sights on the trail (as I hadn't officially made it onto the actual trail on my last attempt.) The things and places I saw along the route were really cool. I headed through Downtown like I always do and went by many of the sights I chronicled in my previous post (ex: past the ship and tall buildings.) Then I made it to the official trail head and kept close to the river for many miles, past the University and finally North of the city. I ran past multiple parks and through the Wetlands area. I even saw a box turtle (reminds me of the summers growing up where we would find loads of these reptiles in our back woods after the rains ... and reminds me of how my little dog was nicknamed the "turtler" because these creatures drive her mad as she incessantly barks at them.)
About 7 miles in I heard my phone ring. I usually don't run with my cell but it is definitely safer to have one on you at all times - just in case. (The main reason I don't like to run with my phone is because I once killed a cell phone while running with it due to sweat seeping into the unit. Fail.) But I also like to keep my phone nearby when anyone in my family is traveling and Daddy is over in Geneva this week. But when I saw it was Sanj I knew she would understand that you don't take calls during a run and decided to call her back when I got home. (Plus I knew the reason she was calling ... BIG super secret surprise !!! Yay !!!)
One thing to note about me - and many other runners I hope. I do not run straight for 20 miles. I know very few "real" people who can do this. I walk. A lot. And I am proud of it. It is so important to listen to your body. It is also important to know when your mind is being lazy and trying to pull tricks on you. There were numerous times when I caught myself thinking "Oh that bench looks so comfortable. Just sit down and rest for a minute." But I forced myself to keep going and kept my feet moving. Even if that meant walking - which I did a lot. Around mile 15 I saw a co-worker and attempted to greet him with a "Hi!" but could barely grunt out any sort of greeting. Just kept on trekking.
I finished in around 4 hours and 12 minutes coming in with an overall pace of 12:12. Not too bad. And I was very pleased (insert irony here) to actually be able to find hills on my run. I live in a completely flat city now and never have the opportunity to train on hills. So the few I encountered on Sunday were welcomed (but certainly still tough.)
[Warning: Here comes my griping and complaining. Pictures accompany.]
As I finally made it back to my place and hobbled / limped to my door I grabbed some water and collapsed. One aspect where I failed to plan ahead was with keeping hydrated and refueling during my run. I was very mad at myself because it is so vital to keep your body running strongly during your workout. I always carry cash with me (cab fare in case of emergency or injury) but was unable to find any place along the route to buy a bottle of water. Better luck / better planning next time.
Upon entering my home I knew I had to tackle my feet. I run in Nikes and have loved their performance. But this last pair I purchased in late October is still giving me trouble - I think it has to do with the inserts so I switched them out with another set from an older pair - hopefully this slight change will make a big improvement. (Let you know after I test it out next weekend ...) I always get the worst blisters on my inner arches. (This Sunday I had formed blisters that rubbed and popped during my run only to form further blisters under the old ones. Gross. And very painful.) So I took my American Red Cross First Aid training and put it to good use (I worked for ARC for many years even serving as a course instructor teaching others) and fixed my feet up in no time.
blister disasters
on the road to recovery
What concerned me more perhaps were my hands and hips. On extra long runs I have noticed that my hands and fingers will often swell to many times their normal size. I believe it happens especially when I am not well hydrated. (I first noticed this occurring in November during my race in Malibu.) I think it is a combination of lack of water and excessive heat. (It was over 80 degrees! Yes!) But my hands went back down to their normal size after I cooled down and recovered.
my swollen hands post-workout ...
please ignore the pen marks on my wrist : i keep notes there of landmarks / mile markers
after recovery : no more fat hands !!!
But ever since Sunday my hips have been killing me in a way that I have never encountered before. I have been taking it slow over the past few days and while I am working towards recovery this pain still makes me nervous.
But perhaps the WORST of all of my ailments (final complaint here) is the sunburn. I am extremely fair-skinned. I wear SPF on my face every single day. But with it being so foggy and overcast in the morning I did not think to lather on any additional sun block. And I paid for it in the form of a bright pink streak down my right arm, an additional streak on my left arm accompanied by a farmer's tan line where my iPod arm band hits, and the piece de resistance - a very clearly defined red "V" on my neck from wearing an open-neck shirt. Let's just say I was wearing long sleeves and a scarf to the office on Monday. (Pale kid tip: keep aloe vera with lidocaine in the refrigerator at all times. Super soothing and it does wonders to aid in your skin's recovery.)
More than anything the run gave me peace of mind that I will not kill myself in Cincinnati on May 1. I can survive.
Please keep my friend in your thoughts and prayers. He shared some sad news today that absolutely broke my heart. Remember that everything happens for a reason and you never know where this crazy journey called life will take you.
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow or sun without rain.
But He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears and light for the way.
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