16....I don't think so!

So the plan this last Saturday was for us to run 16 miles. Last week we ran 14, so the 2 mile increase is natural for the training. The run took place in one of the nicest areas of Portland, Lake Oswego. I think everyone was pretty nervous about the weather going into this run. All week on the news we heard Saturday's forecast was hail, snow, rain and really cold temperatures. Just what you want to run long distances in...

So we show up to run at 7:30 am and it is FREEZING! It was in the 30's which is so ridiculously cold for this time of year here. I mean is Boston even that cold right now? Alaska anyone? So off we go and this is going to be an interesting run bc we know going into it it's a hilly course that was mapped out. And we have never run here before. Perfect...So the run starts off ok, but it did start snowing in the first 5 miles. Thank God it did not last too long. Bonnie and I both felt good, in part because we are both running in our new Nike Vomero running shoes, which are awesome and are helping us a ton.

So for the first 12 miles or so, there were a ton of hills, but we were doing great. And we only had 4 more to go, or so we thought...The course that was mapped out became less and less clear, and next thing you know we are off track. Bonnie and I are running with 3 other people, and we meet up with our running coach Karl. He gets us in the right direction, but we now realize there is no way we will be back at the starting point by only running 16. Now the thing is, when your mind and body know you are only supposed to run a certain distance, they act accordingly. We all now realize we will be doing at least 17, very possibly 18 before we are done. Sweet. This is where the mental toughness takes over, bc I now have to convince myself that I can run further than I was supposed to, even though my body is just about done for the day. My body wants nothing to do with that thought, but there is really no choice. I am not walking 2 miles to finish.

We push through and ended up doing 18.2! Bonnie has a mileage tracker she wears. Unbelievable! I realized what "the wall" will feel like when we run our full. I mean my ankles were killing me, Bon's knees were killing her. So not only was it a few miles longer than expected, but it was hilly as hell. This will almost definitely be the hardest run we do, including the marathon. Oh and to boot, I got the pleasure of enjoying what I have only dreamed about experiencing, the bloody nipples. Yes, and let me tell you how fun those are when you are running long distances.

This week was all about accomplishment, and a huge one we did. It was also one of the most emotional runs for me. I think about my dad on every run, but on some days a lot more than others. Today he was on my mind all day. Towards the end, I remember asking Bon how far we had run, and she tells me we have run 17.6. Next thing you know I lose it, and I feel them running down my face. Nothing like running in this emotional state. I pulled it together and thought about all the crap he had to deal with during his chemo. And to finish our run, of course we had to go up this last hill. Now my body beaten, my ankles killing, my damn nipples bleeding, this hill to run, things suddenly seemed so damn easy. And I finished the run like a nut like I always do, full on sprinting. Thanks again for the much needed inspiration dad.
And thanks for reading.