12/23/06: The (almost bombed!) Longest Long Run!

This was the big enchilada I was worried about for a few days, and it actually turned out to be an okay effort (other then a few details I will further divulge into in this blog…) The plan was to run 23 miles with the Striders on the early Saturday morning before Christmas. Notice, I said that was THE PLAN…lol.

I got there plenty early and was a little too nervous to eat much (mistake #1) and then moved my car from where it was parked originally (mistake #2) and then after the group of 100 or so runners left, try to catch up with them (mistake #3). I wasn’t too far behind everyone, but far enough behind that I ended up running the first 6 miles of the Marathon route by myself and probably wasting wayyy too much energy trying to catch up with everyone.

I cheated (I will admit to that) and had someone pick me up and drop me off near Rice Village. Good thing for Good Samartians with extra change and the guy that let me hang out in his warm corner shop while I was in the Heights. I felt really defeated for losing the group but I saw Strider Bessie at one of the water stations and immediately jumped in with her.

I ran the rest of the route with her (including an extra mile or so we ran ‘off course’) and was thankful that I was able to digest Carbbooms on a nearly empty stomach and that other runners had been asking about me and making sure I was okay and not totally lost. We ran to the Park and then I ran another 3 miles around the loop after that. I guess, to ‘validate’ the Longest Long Run or something, lol. Anyhow, I ended up running about 20 miles. Can’t complain about that. Then stuck around to cheer everyone else in and eat:) Congrats to all that ran, worried about me and a big THANK YOU to the volunteers!

THE STATS:

20 miles
about 3 hours (minus stop-time)

Heart-rate: ave 149 max 184
Weather: nice overall-stayed cool! Perfect!