Grand

[Side Note- I wanted to title this post "epic" but I use that word way too much. I checked synonyms in Microsoft Word and the first two were "marathon" (ha) and "grand" so I went with the latter.  This post is about a "grand" run]

Usually on Monday I try and recap my last week of training. I know most people probably aren't interested, but I find it helpful and hey, it's my blog. :) 

But before I jump to that, I wanted to recap Saturday's long run. Not so much the actual details. Those are pretty boring. The feeling. 

Friday did not go quite as planned. Friday night involved no sensible fueling. But I still felt good and reasonably confident about Saturday's 17 miles.  Bonus - it wasn't going to be a million degrees so I didn't have to get up with a time starting with 4. YAY.

But once I did wake up Saturday, major doubt crept in. And I took my time getting out the door. I even blogged about it. (seriously, what better way to waste time!)  Finally, I decided I just had to go.

So I did.

3 miles in the neighborhood first. Had planned 4-5 but really had to pee. So, cut it short and went in. Quick bathroom stop, piled up my water bottle and threw in some Gu and off again!  I made it across the neighborhood before I realized I left my water bottle on the counter. Damn.  Back home. 4 neighborhood miles after all.  

And off again.

My goal was to hit around mile 10.5-10.75 and then turn around. This was the farthest I had run down this particular path. The day was glorious. Cool and comfortable. Pleasant sun. I kept a comfortable pace but reminded myself not to rush. I took a Gu around mile 8.5 and walked through that.

My ipod acted up around that time, so I ran the next 2ish miles in the quiet. It was lovely.

Somewhat surprisingly to me - probably because my sense of distance  is so poor - I ended up making it all the way into downtown Ada! I found this funny for some reason (?) so I texted Mark a photo.  This was good timing. I was at about mile 10.5, so I stopped at a gas station. I hit the restroom and grabbed a Gatorade and some fruit snacks. I was feeling fantastic! 

 [Me, in a gas station bathroom. Don't tell me you didn't want to see it.]

I decided to get some fluids in me and eat a bit, so I walked a couple of minutes.  That's when I realized my satellite signal on my Garmin had been lost. And wasn't coming back. And I was pissed.  :( I stood in front of an elementary school for a good 5 minutes waiting for it to reconnect. I could have just kept running I guess. Obviously I had to go home!  I knew how far out I was more or less. But I wanted my data damnit!  

[My feet, waiting for satellite...]

Thank goodness it came back on.  I was getting seriously irritated.

[seriously, "locating satellite" for 10 min is NOT acceptable!]

Fortunately, the little break allowed me a chance to comfortably refuel. I took off again, feeling slightly stiff, but once my muscles re-warmed up, I felt great. I couldn't believe how well the run was going! I was able to get my ipod working again (another bonus of the stupid Garmin wait) so I ended up listening to some podcasts of another mother runner radio.  I was actually giggling to myself. It was like running with friends. Great way to pass the time. 

As the miles passed, I kept glancing at my watch. Usually this is a "gosh am I almost done yet?" look.  But this time was the opposite. I was feeling tired, yet I had more in the tank. I could've done more with a smile.  What a great feeling!  

I just felt so stinking proud of myself all day. It was fantastic. Fingers crossed that more of the runs are to come! 17 miles in 3:14:42. Average pace 11:27 min/mile. Epic.

What did I learn from this run?

I apparently do well with Gatorade and fruit snacks as fuel

Doritos and beer are not terrible night before fare?

I love to run :)

Perry likes to lick the sweat off me right when I walk in the door. 

It's gross, but kind of cracks me up at the same time.  Also, it is nice to be loved, even when disgusting :)