Skip to main content

First 18 Miler

Woo Hoo... I just completed my first 18 miler today.  Thats right, that's a 1 and an 8 side by side. Wow, I honestly can say I never really saw myself making that statement. See, I was one of those people who would never consider a marathon, or even a half to be honest. I didn't consider myself a distance runner.  And even though I just completed an 18 mile run, I still have a hard time (at this point) labeling myself as a distance runner.

But today, we were pressed for time. We had to finish at a certain time so I could go get Lil Man from my Hubby. I text my running buddy and asked her if she could meet me at 5 instead of 5:15. She agreed.

Let me set the scene... it was dark... it was misting rain... well there you go. The first hour was pretty much done in darkness. It was misting rain (for the most part) the entire run, with bouts of heavier sprinkles to light rain.  Down by the river it was the usually buggy run. My running buddy and I both took a gnat to the eye. Between the sweat, salt, rain, bugs and portapotty germs, I was MORE than ready for a shower once this was over. However, I must have missed some spots with the Glide, as the shower resulted in a few screams as the water hit some rubbed raw spots.

Overall, I feel ok. I'm sore. My knees are achy, and I am really feeling my hamstrings. I'll probably break out the marathon stick tonight and give myself a once or twice over.  Also, I'll try to get in some light stretching. I felt my foot a time or two during the run, but no real soreness at this point. I'll know more tomorrow morning when I walk on it the first time.  If I have pain after a few steps, I know I did too much.

It's funny how your perspective changes. I remember when I had a 10 or 12 miler on the schedule. It was a scary thought. Now, I think of next week (13 miler) as an easy week. Don't get me wrong, running any longer distance is a challenge for me. But running 13 doesn't seem as daunting now as it once did.

Wow, I just ran 18 miles today. I'm proud of myself.  Now where is that ice cream....

 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Running My Life

Wow, has it really been 2 years since my last post? I suppose that I allowed life to get in the way. For any faithful blog readers, I apologize. Although, I'm not sure how many people actually read blogs anymore. I think most people use other social media platforms.  (By the way, drop by and say hi on Insta. )  But for some reason, each year when I pay for my google domain, I can't seem to let it go. As silly as it sounds, this little space is mine. And lately I've been struggling with ownership and acceptance. And my domain renewal was a not so gentle reminder that I have a voice .  Seriously, you'd think by 48 that I'd have this figured out - nope - apparently not. However, I am wise enough to know that we have a choice to allow situations to harms us or make us stronger. I'm choosing to let this mid-life quandary make me stronger. And because of this, I'm setting goals, taking charge, and reexamining priorities.  Movin' on... 

Self Care Is Not Selfish It's Necessary

It's not selfish to take care of yourself. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. And I'll say it just one more time in case you didn't hear me. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. I have found through experience that when I'm not taking care of myself, not only do I suffer but my family suffers. So ditch the mom guilt and take the time that you need! I have a tendency to keep pushing my needs aside until I reach a breaking point. We've had a very busy fun summer so far. However, I've struggled to get some quality ' me ' time to decompress. I'll spare you the meltdown that ensued. But the reality check that followed prompted me to take action.

When The Planner In You Must Be Flexible

In case you haven’t figured this out by now, I’m a planner. I know - shocker right?!? :) So although I love substitute teaching, it’s making the planner in me anxious. And it’s been reeking havoc on my workouts. Basically the morning of or maybe the night before, I find out if I’m working. So my day ( that I thought I had planned ) can be turned upside down in an instant. But, truthfully, isn’t that really the same with everyone?