11/02 Long, Painful Run

21.5 miles in 3:44:00

The original plan for this run was since and simple. Two out and backs along 5th. Relatively flat, nothing to aggravate the IT band, and a minimum of hills. What I had forgotten, and was reminded of during the first loop was how much I dislike this route. There are a couple of pretty nasty spots with no sidewalks and honestly, I've run it enough that it's just boring.

Got up at 4:30 and got kitted out, had some OJ, made sure my stomach was cooperating (which is why I was running this on Sunday morning, not Saturday) and finally got out the door and started running around 5:45. I decided to baby my knee a little and went out pretty slow. The first 7 miles averaged about a 10:30 pace even with a pit stop and an attempted pit stop. (I really need to drink less before long runs.)

I started feeling my knee 'assembly' near mile 4 and was able to work through it till I stopped to adjust my shoe just before mile 8. Once I stopped, I had to have a walk, and a discussion with my left leg. My left leg accused me of being a sadistic bastard, I accused it of being a lazy whining slacker. I won and was able to start moving along after a few hundred feet or waling. That mile was 12:30 or so. The next was around 11:00 and the last one of this leg was back to pace at around 10:25. I really was starting to feel more human as I got back onto my side of 132nd. Not sure why...maybe something about the way the sidewalks is cambered?

I hit the turnaround, went the couple blocks back to the house and made a pit stop and refilled my water bottles. Slowly. While I took some Advil. My Dad was up so we chatted while I did it. Last times I've done this I can make it to the house (.17), swap bottles, make a pit stop and make it back to the main road in under 5 minutes. It took me closer to 10 this time.

I recognize, now, after the fact, that taking an Advil to relieve pain caused by an overuse injury, so I can go out and run more borders on asinine. :)

Pace coming off of the house was about 10:30 for a few miles, till the ibuprofen started trickling into my system. I got progressively faster as the pain went away. I made one loop around the block, and after that hour, the Advil was really kicking. I did the second partial loop to do just around 5 more miles and averaged 9:45 for those miles. Mmmm... Advil. :)

Now even with my running supported by Advil, you would think I would remember to use the foam roller when I got home. Nope. Forgot. My in-laws were already at the house for breakfast with my Dad so I got sidetracked. I forgot on Saturday because of family stuff and a Birthday party. Bad monkey...no running....

This run added more to the lessons learned on long run column. The big one for this run was chafing related. I normally war compression shorts on long runs. With my normal running shorts over them for modesty. Apparently when my nylon shorts get wet (since it rained on me on and off the entire run) they bunch. In the obvious place. I'm now missing a few square inches of skin from the inside of one of my thighs. I picked up new pair (some Nike's with a pretty big zippered pocket in the lower back) at Run26 in Lynnwoodhttp://www.run26.net/, and will try these, without the modesty shorts. :)

Also, apparently Sunday morning is the day to run. I saw more runners in the second half of the run than I have seen in the area in the last month combined. Including a fast woman that was doing the same loop as me, only in reverse. :) Inspiring, but fustrating as I plodded along. :)