another 12 miles, another bruise

I don't have too much to report so far this week. I've gotten up early, I've gotten my miles in. It's been pretty uneventful. I will recap for you my long run done with two very good friends last Saturday.

We got a bit of a later start, 9am, but we did stay up late the night before, 11:30pm. We took off from the house in Peabody, a short distance later we were in Salem (where I got yet another running "injury": we were running along on the sidewalk and I whacked a light post with my elbow...I now have a small bruise right on my funny bone. Hilarious.). After another short distance, we went up and over a bridge into Beverly. Here we turned and headed for the coast. It was so nice to see the water and the sun (just barely coming thru the clouds, thankfully!) reflecting on the ocean. Here we stopped at a water fountain for a quick break.

After this, it gets a bit hazy...I'm not sure where we were or where we were headed. I just knew we were plugging along at a pretty great pace, up and over some rolling hills. Around mile 10 we were well on our way back to the house when we came across another bridge (we could see the other one we went over on the way out) that has to turn sideways to let boats thru. We hit it just right so that we had to wait for about 7min or so for it to do it's thing. For those of you who don't run...when you're doing a long distance, it's best not to stop...it hurts to start up again!

We made it about another half mile or so when we came upon a golf course. Some golfers we passed alerted us that there was a FOX on the course!!! We paused again to check that out. Oye. Although, I'll admit, it was pretty cool to see a fox...I've never seen one that close up...or ever in real life!

With about a mile to go or so, I began to feel like I had water in my left ear. It was like I'd gone under water and got some in my ear. I'm sure you know the feeling. Well, this had never happened to me while running before so it freaked me out a bit....I realized that it must just have been sweat that got into my ear. Yuck. It went away after I cooled down and stopped sweating.
The payoff after this run was a day at the beach with my two great friends. Amazing day.

Yesterday, I logged just over 6 miles (6.33), it was a highly uneventful and predictable run. Today I went for some hills and also a new loop. It was fun...hilly, but fun. I ended up with 3.77 and elevation gain/loss of about 200 ft. Here's a picture of most of the run:


I really liked this loop and I'll definitely be doing this again!

Also, this morning I realized how SOON the Marathon really is... 2 stinkin', measly, short months! Yikes! I really hope I'm gonna be ready...

hurting and healing

As you know, a couple of weeks ago I tripped while running and scraped up my knee pretty badly. It's been slowly but quite surely healing. There was a nasty bit of time where a painful protective layer formed which made my knee quite sensitive and hard to bend fully. Then there's the period of that falling away and leaving behind fresh skin, which is pretty itchy, I must admit! It didn't happen overnight...this whole process has taken over 2 weeks.

I got to thinking about how the initial hurt...well, hurt. But the healing process was pretty darn painful as well. Then I started thinking how that is kinda like life. We get hurt: someone close to us moves away, gets sick, dies, we get some really bad news, or a friend says something mean about us. What ever it is, we've all been hurt. And when we first find out about something or realize something to be true, it hurts! Our heart is crushed, broken and heavy in an instant.

But it's the recovering from that, the healing that hurts the most, for me anyway. The "coming to terms with something", the "getting over something", the "I'm learning to be okay again" that takes a long time and is often more painful.

I'm kinda in the middle of my own healing process right now. It's hard...it's painful...sometimes it feels just as fresh as the day I first got the news. I'm trying to understand that I'll be okay. Not today or tomorrow or next week...but soon. The memories will fade and fall away and I'll have to try really hard to remember certain things. Or maybe I won't try to remember things at all... Maybe that's part of my healing.

Romans 8:28 says this: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." When hurtful things happen in our lives, God is still there. Still working for our good. He doesn't turn His back or let us figure it out on our own. He is right there, ready to help us heal as painlessly as possible. We just have to let Him. I know that He works for my good...and with this hurt (and all my hurts) I'm gonna let Him.

In training news: I had a massive mileage week last week: 44!! It included two long runs...which is why it was so massive. But due to that and maybe some other stuff too, this week has been MUCH lower. I've accumulated just 12mi this week. Ugh. Monday, I hiked with some good friends, which was a fabulous cross training workout. Tuesday, I got 6.6mi in...that felt great! Wednesday, I slept in and the proceeded to work a 13hr day. Today, I got just 2 or so in due to some very painful issues (we'll leave it at that). Maybe my body is just tired and this week will be a bit off. That's okay. This weekend I'll be racking up 12 with a couple good friends...who are muuuuuuch faster than I am but who will slow down enough to run with me.

I do love some good friends/running buddies. :)

cooler temps but no relief

Ahhhh, mornings. When the sun is just over the horizon. When birds are singing. When few sane people are up and about. When the temp is cooler....er, for the most part.

Case in point: Today, I got up at the usual time (5:30am after a half hour snooze session) and was out the door by 6am. I checked the temp before heading out, a cool 64deg! I thought to myself, FINALLY! A morning when it's not already burning up! I forgot, however, to check the humidity: 91%. UUUUUGH!

Now, if you don't know (which, I mean, why would you?!) I'm kind of a sweater. In a big way. So despite the fact that it was about 10-12 deg cooler this am than it has been...it did nothing to help my sweating issue. Thanks to the super high humidity percentage.

I'm sorry, I know that may have been too much information. Just had to get that out there for all the world to see. :)

In training news: Monday morning before work I got my 12miles in. Please note: BEFORE work!!!!! I'm quite excited about that! Tuesday, did a short 4.5miler. Weds was my day off - I slept in until 7am! Today, I got another 6.5mi ticked off. Saturday is a big mileage day: 14mi! I'm already psyching myself up for it. As we all know, running is 90% mental.

Also, just adding up all the mileage in my head this week: when it's all said and done, I'll have logged about 44miles IN ONE WEEK! Best ever!

we all fall down

I was two or so miles into my 13 miler this morning when I was looking around and spotted a playground. Upon further inspection, I noticed a water fountain. I was particularly excited to know that there was a water stop on this new route! When all of a sudden, I was flying thru the air (slight exaggeration here) and then I was on my hands and knees skidding across the pavement (that is not an exaggeration, I literally skidded). Totally bit it...all for trying to see a water fountain.

I continued to run another half mile or so but my legs were throbbing and I knew they were going to get nasty if I kept going and sweat and dirt got in there. I also know that they are going to Bruise, with a capital B. All in all today, I got only about 4.5 or so in. A full 9miles LESS than planned. I'm beyond frustrated.

I plan to let these heal up over the course of today and tomorrow and by golly, I WILL RUN 13 MILES on Monday morning.

This picture doesn't look too bad but believe me, it hurts...and now it's seeping a bit... (ewwwww!!!)

humidity, humidity go away!

Yeah, it has a better ring to it if you say "rain"...but it fits the current weather pattern we've got going right now! We've had a sweltering end to June/beginning of July! Temps have been in 80's and 90's at the end of June and this first week of July has been in the 90's each day (Monday we reached 104!!!). Not only that but the humidity has been at least 85% each day, compounding the hotness. It's been rough.

That being said, I've still gotten some great mileage in. After my last post I had two 33mi weeks (!), a week off for my "mission trip" (leading VBS at my home church), and I am currently posting 23 miles this week. I've got a long run on the docket for tomorrow...here's hoping I reach 13!!! :)

With all the heat/humidity, I've needed to beat it. So, I've been getting up earlier...the alarm goes off at 5am. I snooze until 5:30am, grab a banana and some water, head out the door by 6am. With this routine I can get up to 9miles in before it's essential that I get back to get ready for work! Now, if you know me, you know I like my snooze button! I am not, nor have I EVER been, the kind to bound out of bed when the alarm goes off. I like to take my time to get up. Let my body adjust to the early hour. Buuuuut, it's working for me so far...I will try to keep this up, however I will probably NEVER been the kind to bound out of bed. It's just not in my nature.

All this said, I found that I enjoy running in the morning! Wait, what? Who am I?! I like that there aren't as many people out and about. I like that it's still somewhat cool. I like that I have the rest of the day to spend with people (after work, of course). I like that I have a little more self control when it comes to eating b/c I don't want to negate my morning work out by eating all kinds of junk. I like that I get to go to bed earlier (also, if you know me, you know going to bed is praaaabably my favorite part of the day...).

A couple of race/run recaps and an update on Maine Marathon:

• I ran with my friend to her first 5K finish and she did great! It was about 80deg.
• I ran with another friend to her first sub-10min/mile 5K! It was about 85deg.
• I ran a 5K in 85deg/ 85% humidity in full sunlight....at 9am.
• I attempted a 12miler and only got to 7 due to it being 85deg and 87% humidity at 8am.
  
• My friend and I spent last weekend in Maine where we drove to Portland, did a loop around Back Cove (3.5mi) at 12pm in full sunlight (big mistake...I nearly passed out at one point) then drove the Marathon course!!!!!!!
  
• I am SO excited for Oct 3rd!!!

Here's to more morning runs, my friends!!