18 miles!

I ran 18 miles yesterday. That is crazy. Normally I don't think I even travel 18 miles over the course of a week. I actually felt great during the run. Admittedly I got really bored at mile 14, but I pushed through and completed all 18. Turns out that running that far is pretty darn exhausting not to mention sweat inducing. When I got home my roommate asked me if it was raining out. Nope. No rain. All sweat. Yup, it was pretty nasty. I was also in dire need of some fluid replacement. As you can see I had a wide selection of water, gatorade, and chocolate milk.

Post-run beverage selection

All in all, what is most crazy, or exciting I suppose, is that the marathon actually feels like it's within reach. Sure, I've still got another 8.2 miles to run the day of, but I actually think I can do it!

I completely forgot!

I can't believe I forgot to post this in my blog yesterday! It must have been the sheer exhaustion of running and my brain was protesting. While I was out on the river I passed Julia Stiles riding her bike. That is my first ever celebrity sighting while running! For those who may not know who I'm referring to...

Julia Stiles filming her movie in Boston!

Or if you're like me, she'll always be the girl from 10 Things I Hate About You

A slow start...

Got a late start this morning. Fortunately it was cool outside. Unfortunately about 1 block from my apartment I got a horrific cramp on my left side, which meant I was off to a slow start. I suspect this was because I was super dehydrated and did not drink nearly enough water yesterday. I had visions of this being an awful 12 miles. Luckily the cramp subsided, but it was quickly replaced with a general, full stomach cramp. As you can imagine, those first few miles were not particularly fun. A couple miles in that general discomfort also subsided and then it was pretty much smooth sailing. It actually ended up being a pretty decent run. Not as good as my 16 mile run last week, but I suppose they can't all be quite like that.

I also decided last minute to head home this week for Yom Kippur. I'm very excited to be home, but this definitely throws a wrench in my training for this week. I think I've got a solid plan in place and it doesn't even require me to bring my running gear home! Here goes...

A day of rest

When I woke up yesterday it was very gloomy out. It had POURED the night before. I made a very quick decision to give myself what I deemed to be a much needed day off. My knees and quads definitely thanked me. I also got to sleep for an extra hour and a half which was greatly appreciated. My impromptu break was much enjoyed.

This morning - 8 miles. No complaints.

Today my knees hate me

On Saturday I ran 16 miles and felt like a million bucks. This morning I ran 5 miles and my legs are having none of it. It amazes me what a difference 3 days can make (well that and 11 miles). Seriously, my legs are tired and achy. My quads feel like jello. And worst of all, my knees hate me. Ugh. Fortunately I bought Advil in bulk in anticipation of days like today.

You win some, you lose some

Lose: woke up bright and early today to head out for my 16 mile run. It looked a bit ominous outside, but I wasn't overly worried. I grabbed my raincoat and was ready to go. Then I took one last look out the window before leaving and realized it was actually pouring.

Win: I just ran 16 miles! And it was awesome! I ended up waiting about an hour for the rain to pass. By the time I left I didn't even bring my raincoat, and when I finished my run it was a gorgeous, sunny day. Last week 15 miles kicked my butt. This week I kicked 16 miles' butt. Make no mistake, I am exhausted, and I won't be setting any Olympic records any time soon, but it really was a fantastic run! Now off to eat. A lot.

A glorious 8 miles

Yesterday's run was a surprisingly pleasant 8 miles! The time just flew by. Almost as quickly as I started I had covered 8 miles (note: this is simply how it felt; rest assured I did not run fast so it did actually take quite a bit of time).  Maybe the fact that I actually got 8 hours of sleep the night before (versus the 6 I've been getting) helped?

It's amazing to me how far I've come. When I first started my training my long run was 6 miles. Now my mid-week runs are longer than that. And I can do it! And then go to school for a whole day. It really is awesome!

Let's hope this positive energy sticks around for my 16 miler tomorrow.