Running Solo

Saturday morning I wanted to bang out my long run before we left for vacation. I was scheduled to run 16 miles. I knew exactly where I had to run to get the miles done. I started out around 7am and was feeling good but not great. It was already pretty darn hot at 7am. I took a slat stick cap after running for about 30 minutes. I was keeping a good pace of about 8:30 per mile. Once I had been running for 60 minutes I ate my first clementine.

I'm hooked on running with clementines now. So much so that I upset when I realized there were not any at the Food Lion here in Willimasburgh. After my first clementine I was feeling good but not for long. I was sweating a lot so I went to grab a second salt stick cap. They were gone. I knew I had packed 3 or 4 to hold me over for a 16 mile run. At this point I became obsessed with finding them on the ground. I was running a loop so I was pretty determined to find these little treasures. After running for about 3 additional miles feeling like a straight tweaker I found one!! I was so excited I said Oh yes thank God and a hiker on the path was looking at me like I was nuts while I picked up this pill from the trail and popped it in my mouth. About 15 feet later I found a second pill and stashed that in my pack for later. 

Finding that cap really lifted my spirits around mile 10 but I still had another 6 miles to run. I was lonely and wishing I had a running buddy. There was not even many other runners or hikers out on the trail. I tend to get very mental while running alone. Around mile 14 I was really trashing myself and doubting my ability to run a race that is still 60+ days away. I know not all of my training runs will be great. I did not meet by goal of 16 but I came pretty close. I must have mis-judged my turning point. When I got back  near my house my husband and daughter passed me in the car and at the point I just wanted to go home rather than run another .6 of a mile.