Ten Miles - take 2

The plan this weekend was going to go a little like this:

Saturday - Clarendon Day, run ~10 miles
Sunday - Rest
Monday - 6 miles
Tuesday - 3 miles (tapering off)

However, in light of my non-starter on Clarendon Day yesterday, my schedule shifted to the following

Saturday - Clarendon Day, ~4.5 miles
Sunday - 10 miles
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - 3 miles

This morning, I pulled myself out of bed and went for my 2nd 10 miler. For breakfast, I switched it up (more later) and had a smoothie and a Starbucks VIA.

Side note: Starbucks VIA are phenom. for runners. I do not want to make an entire pot of coffee before I run because I will not drink it when I get back.

So out I went with two gatorade aqua pods - hoping that National Harbor would have water fountains, like the Mt Vernon trail does every 2.5 miles or so. More on THIS later too.

The first two miles were good - I have run that trail at least three miles a week. Then I went up the bridge. I always forget how long the bridge really is - mostly because when I'm driving it, I'm going about 75 miles an hour on the beltway.

The bridge incline is higher on the Virginia side, and so it was easy trails going downward. However, I started to feel dizzy and not really energetic. I drank some of my gatorade and pushed through.

At the end of the bridge is a ramp to take walkers across the beltway to the other side towards National Harbor. It's not that bad going the way I'll be running on the WW1/2, which is great.

The one thing I'm really concerned about during this half is the shell path that leads to National Harbor. It's about .25miles, and I'm not very good at running on non-asphalt. Good to report, however, that the shells are pretty densely packed, and it wasn't so bad running. So yay on that.

Now I'm in National Harbor, and looking around for any kind of a water fountain. For future reference, THERE ARE NONE. Stupid national harbor. Passed by a restroom, though.

I had pre-mapped my course to make sure I did the full 10, and ended up going around an unfinished park with a muddy trail, and around back of the Gaylord (the big hotel there). Not going to lie, afraid I was going to get kidnapped. Real sketch.

Here, I decided to walk. I was thirsty, my stomach was upset again, and I was really grumpy.

Knowing that there would be no more water fountains, I decided to head back over to that restroom, pause my workout, regroup, and fill my water bottles with nasty water.

Don't judge, I was really thirsty.

I also opted to take my goo here, with the availability of water. Note I did not take my goo prior to the beginning of the run, and I don't think I'll make that mistake next weekend. I can really tell a difference in performance and energy level.

So I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Snickle, you have to run home, you know. You have your water, you have your goo, and you are good to go."

Out I went, super stoked to finish!

Then BAM.

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMP.

Not the muscle kind, either.

It was so bad, it nearly made me cry. But I said, Damn you, I will run this. I have three miles to go. Screw you, pain.

Pushed through it and was back on the up ramp to cross over 495. Going the opposite way is a lot harder than going to National Harbor, but I did it. And I forced myself to smile.

Then I got back on the bridge, and realized that running close to the bridge wall (it's more like a fence) makes me dizzy. I have this same problem when driving near trees where the sun is filtering through them - the blinking lights make my head spin. Good to know for the race, I guess.

But I heard on my little run keeper that I was at mile 8 - which meant only 2 more miles to go. Well that put me in a DAMN fine mood, and I hit my runner's high (and the goo probably kicked in finally). So, like last week, I sauntered along, grinning like an idiot, and singing along to my music.

Hitting mile 9, my body started to slow down, and I walked a bit to find a pick-me-up song. Lately, I'm into Britney.

Ran/walked the final mile, and ended up with the following:

Runkeeper Result: 

Total Distance: 10.07 miles
Total Time: 2:01:48
Avg Speed: 4.96
Elevation Climb: 394 feet

All in all, I'm very proud of this run. Considering my stummy wants to kill me, and I ran a race yesterday, and I didn't have goo this morning, and all of that, I still managed to finish at an acceptable pace (my goal for my half is to finish with a 12 min/mile pace).

Not to mention that I feel fully prepared for my race now. I've gone most of the way down to the starting line, and I've gone to the finish line. Now just have to put them together.

This week is tapering. I love tapering.