14 miles for me too. That wind was brutal. I think DeWitt has some sort of swirling vortex in its little self contained atmosphere. Must be all those lakes generating winds from all directions. It always seems that 3 out of the 4 possible directions you have wind blowing in your face. And yesterday was no different.
What did I learn on this run?
1) Running is mental. On many levels! As I ran westbound on Clark Road and was brought to a near standstill by the wind, I thought I will NEVER finish 14 miles today. I promised myself, if I get to Schavey the wind won't be that bad and then I can make it to the Y and get a drink and a potty break and I'll do at least 12 (no choice, otherwise I wouldn't get home). So I pressed on, slow, but still moving.
2) When running more than 10 or maybe less, bring GU or something for energy. At mile 7, I see a familiar car and the beautiful smiling faces of Kim and Peg. I thought they were just stopping to say hi and encourage me. But no, they gave me much more! They stopped and offered me a lemon lime GU (Favorite!) and water. Ladies, you were definitely at the right place at the right time.
3) Running friends are awesome! Soon after I saw Kim and Peg (who I will sing praises for again), I ran into Amy V. Dear girl was running 18. God bless her! She looked great. It was awesome to see her smiling too. We gave each other some encouragement and ran on to complete our routes. Kim and Peg (did I mention how wonderful they are...) also dropped a water bottle for me on my route. The water was like a sweet nectar at mile 11 left by the lovely running divas. When I was thinking that 12 would be plenty, this gave me a little mental boost to complete the full 14. It's just 3 more miles (I remember when 3 was my long run). I got some water, some good friends, I can do it.
4) Shamrock shakes are really good after 14 miles.
5) The wind can't bring me down. It may stink, but it can't stop me. HA!
Amen Sista! You gotta GU! Work those water breaks in...we even stop, have a swig of H2O, have a GU, take a stretch, and press on. Makes those long runs (think 18, 19, 20 milers) SO much better. We (Peg, Staci and Michelle) are meeting on Friday at 8:30 am from the YMCA to do our 15 this week. Please join us...so much more fun with friends. I think Michelle R. is joining us too. Sara and Lisa are meeting up with us later for their 11. I'll post something on FB.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great job girl:) Running all alone in conditions like that is one tough run. So glad we were at the right place to help you out, don't ever want to see anyone suffer. You must have H2O and some kind of nourishment. Keep up the good work, it is all worth it in the end.
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