12 miles

Every Monday I feel like the biggest retard. Who DOES this to themselves?! I was so nervous before my run today, but 12.24 miles are done. It took me 2 hours 35 minutes to complete 12 miles and a quarter. It was slow, but I’m happy I didn’t die and that I completed 12 miles! Especially with all the hills around here. I’m really getting tired of hills. I mean literally tired.

The whole second half of my run I kept thinking I was a crazy person for willingly doing this to myself as I had to walk up more hills. It felt like I walked a lot. I don’t feel so retarded once I’m done with a long run, but golly geeze do I feel tired and hungry! I’m not quite walking like a normal person yet today. My feet hurt the worst. Finally got a couple blisters and my feet feel like I’ve been standing all day. I’m happy the only thing I had planned today after my run was sitting on my bum watching season 2 of Gilmore Girls eating a ginormous subway sandwich and zucchini muffins. Ahhh. This is the best part of running. Being DONE with running. If nothing else running always makes me especially grateful for being still with my feet up eating good food.

I went with my hydration pack for the first time. I put about 16 oz of water in and took one 110 calorie gel thing in my pocket. I really liked having the water with me. The sound of the sloshing would have bothered me a lot if I didn’t have music blaring in my ears drowning out the sound, but it wasn’t very heavy and I liked having water there to drink whenever I wanted it, which turned out to be rather frequently. I don’t usually drink when I run and I was surprised that I drank most of it. I was afraid it would make my stomach feel funny, but taking sips whenever I was thirsty only had a positive effect on how I felt overall- so I kept doing it.

After the initial gag at the flavor and texture, the gel thing didn’t make me sick either. It was supposed to be vanilla (the only flavor that didn’t come with caffeine) but it really didn’t taste like vanilla. It was like having to take medicine and turned out to be another aspect of my run that I wanted to be over with as soon as possible once I tasted it. I don’t remember what it tasted like other than tangy and gross. I guess that would be the potassium and sodium making it a deliciously tasty treat. But it helped.

Despite hating everything during the run itself I love knowing that a couple weeks ago I didn’t think I could take one step further than the 10.46 miles I did with my brother and now completing 12.24 miles today and feeling like if I HAD to I could have taken maybe 2 steps further. Today is twice as far as my long run in week one. My shorter runs still feel hard, but my time is getting better. That part I love. I’m always a fan of progress and improvement, which I guess is the only reason I keep at this because otherwise it just hurts.