I'm a FREAK!!!

I'm sorry I've been away so long.  The holiday weekend and then the start of school for both the kids and myself.  Been just a tad on the busy side.  But, HEY, here I am.

So, a few things have happened since my last entry.  Yes, I'll get to the freak part in a bit.  I have had my longest run EVER last week and I intend on breaking that later today.  I ran my own little 10K run a few weeks ago.  That was not my longest run ever.  It was, then, my longest training run.  I had a few issues along the way, but kept going.  

My biggest issue is apparently I've become sensitive to milk or dairy.  I have no idea where this came from or how it started.  If I have milk or dairy, cheese mostly.  I had cereal and milk for breakfast and then headed out to run.  I got 2 miles in and began hurling.  Yep, puked it all up.  I don't know what it is or how it happens, but no more.  I ended up finishing the run and felt better after the episode and another mile in.  It was kinda like, well I'm this far and if I wanna go back to my car, I might as well finish.  So, I finished.

I went home and filled my tub with cold water.  My own homemade cold plunge.  Let me tell you, I sat in the tub for 10 minutes, it took about 5 minutes to get my breath back.  I will say this, I think it worked.  I was a bit sore but not nearly as sore as I had been after long runs or as you'll hear about shortly, as sore as I was after my longest run ever.

Before I get to that, here's where the freak part comes in.  It wasn't very hot that day, but it got humid quick.  Sweat was pouring off of me.  Someone turned a faucet on on top of my head and it just ran down me.  I love that.  The feeling of the sweat running down my back, soaking my shirt.  Yup, I'm a freak.  Makes me feel like I accomplished something, and I worked hard at it.

I had a few short runs before my longest run ever.  Then the group of friends I am going to run the Rock N Roll Cleveland half with convinced me to meet them at a park and run around the lake.  That run around the lake was some run.  It was 9 miles around.  And the hills, OH THE HILLS!!!  We did it.  I have never run that far before, and I did it!!! 

I did a gel before the run then a few chomps during the run.  Once we hit mile 7, I was tiring out quickly.  I had a few more chomps and that got me through.  Otherwise, I think I would have been sleeping on side of the trail soon after that.  I have to play around with that on my next 2 long runs; they are also, my last 2 long runs before the half.

It was another hot one.  I brought my water belt, but ran out with a little over 2 miles to go.  Good thing it got dark and cooled off quick.  But I did think ahead and brought a water bottle to drink on my drive home.  That helped a lot.

I did not do a cold plunge when I got home.  I was too pooped to pant.  I took a shower and had some food.  Then it was off to bed.  I was sssssoooo sore for the next 3 -4 days.  I could only do 1 short run this week.  I hurt almost the entire time I was running 2 1/2 miles.  I felt good other than that and it didn't seem like it was that difficult of a run, other than my calves were screaming the entire time.  There will be a cold plunge after the next long run.

Today, I'm meeting my friends for another long run.  This time it's 11 miles.  Besides being tired after the 9 mile run, I'm convinced, if I can do 9, then I can do 13.1.  And after today's big run, I know I'll finish the half without a problem.  I have the mental aspect of running 13.1 miles for the first time covered.  I'm confident I'll finish.  As long as my physical ability allows me, which at this point I do.

So yeah, I'm a freak.