BQ Training Week 10

(I still owe you guys a race report from the Bitches Relay. Expect that in a day or two).

It's getting better, y'all!

I mean, it's not rainbows and unicorns, but it's at least bearable. (It doesn't hurt that I only had to run 12 miles this week by myself. Yay for The KoB and Steve!). I also got a nice pep rally email from Coach, and it's good to know that a general hatred of running happens occasionally, and it seems to happen quite a bit when you're in the thick of training. So, misery loves company and all that; it was good to hear that it happens to others.

Also, a good tip that I picked up from Coach's email was... MUSIC. I'm going to have to do my long run solo this weekend, so I'm going to clear off all the old songs on my ipod and upload some new tunes. Hopefully that will help.

Week 10 was a step-back week in intensity. So, I basically just ran a bunch of miles, with some Marathon Pace miles in the middle of runs just for shits and giggles.

Workouts:
Marathon Pace: I had a mid-week long run of 13 miles with 4.5 miles of marathon pace. The KoB and I did this run on Wednesday night. We ran about 8.5 miles at an easy pace and then got started on the marathon pace miles. The first mile, I thought there was no effing way I was going to be able to run 4.5 miles at that pace. But, by the second mile, I was fine. And by the end of the run, the workout (for lack of a better word) didn't seem all that taxing.

Long Run: 20 miles with miles 9-13 at Marathon Pace: After asking a bunch of people to join me for part of that run and getting no takers, The KoB once again stepped in and volunteered to run it with me. I feel bad that he has to run all these slow-to-him miles, but he assures me that he doesn't mind. So... I took him up on the offer and DAMN thank goodness I did. The first 9 miles felt good. The Marathon Pace miles felt pretty good and easy, I never felt like I was struggling to keep up with the pace. The problem hit when I took a gel at mile 15. I don't know if it's mental now, or a combination of mental and physical, but my stomach just doesn't like the gel. Another issue, is that the route that I picked, has a bunch of uphill miles at the end.

  I can't REALLY complain, most of the miles are flat.

But, I'm still going to complain.

Hills at miles 18-20?

RUDE. 

I was struggling on the uphills and trying to convince The KoB to continue on without me.But he kept telling me that I'd come that far, that I could do it. And so I kept trucking. And then, with about a mile left to go, I fell.

And normally when I fall, I just pop up and keep going. This time, I was so tired and sore and hurt that I couldn't even get up. AND THEN I started crying. Like... ugly crying. I don't really think many tears were falling, but it was that ugly heaving and sobbing and ridiculous crying.

Imagine this. But on the ground.

The KoB tried to help me up and I just kind of wallowed around on the ground for a bit. Finally, I got up and I hobbled while crying and occasionally taking breaks to cry the rest of the way home. It wasn't pretty. But, thankfully, my right knee, which took the brunt of the fall, just seems to be bruised and scraped up pretty bad.

I got home and The KoB and I had a bit of a laugh about the whole thing. He's now experienced just about everything from me in a run: I've puked, gone into a porta potty to poop and ended up puking, too, I've fallen, I've gotten bitchy at him and NOW: I've cried. WHO WANTS TO SIGN UP TO BE MY RUNNING PARTNER?

I'm feeling a bit weak about being so dependent on him to get through my workouts and miles. But, at the end of the day, it's helping me get the miles done, so, I'm not going to worry about it. Plus, he's pacing me at the marathon in December, so... I don't think it's too much of a crutch.