Saturday, August 28, 2010

Run, Baby, Run

I was ready to post on Wednesday about how I was one run away from smashing into a wall, but my run on Thursday went much better than expected so I felt silly. I’m in no way losing motivation. I’m looking forward to the next couple of months, and I’m really excited about running my first marathon. (I’m also looking forward to the changing season which will bring the following: sweaters, hot chocolate, warm blankets, and snuggling. Mmmm…snuggling.) On Wednesday, though, I definitely felt my body reaching the point of “Aw hell no!" but I guess that happens when you try to run when you're sick. I probably shouldn't do that anymore. Then again, my new found addiction to running seems to be calling the shots these days.

Reminder: the goal is to cross the finish line with enough of a functioning body to think about running another race.

I decided not to go to New Haven this weekend, which meant that I got to run a glorious (and I use the term loosely) 16 miles in DC. I started my run at 7 this morning just to make sure that I was able to meet my coworker (who joined me for three miles) by 9 AM. I didn't realize how quiet 7 AM is on a weekend. During the week, everyone's going to work, going to school, or going on morning runs. I started by running up to the boarder between DC and Maryland, coming down through Glover Park and Georgetown, and back to my apartment with just enough time to meet my coworker. (By the way, I actually felt comfortable running the first 10 miles. COMFORTABLE.) Then, my coworker and I hit three miles worth of trails, and I finished my last three on the treadmill.

I tried my first energy gel today -- Lemon Sublime GU. It was kind of gross, but I figured I should try an energy gel before my race. The official gel of the Baltimore Marathon is Powerbar Energy Gel, but the running store was all out. I'll get around to testing the sponsored gel on my longest run. Other than being gross, I think it helped to have the extra boost along the way.

When I finished my run and took my shoes off, I noticed that my left second toenail had turned black. Hypochondriac Alisha freaked out and called both of her parents thinking that she might have a blood clot or some exotic runner's disease. Thankfully, it doesn't hurt. However, I thought about going to the doctor and spent some time on WebMD and Google. (I was still betting on exotic runner's disease.) Then, I sent Matt a message because as a future M.D. and a runner, I figured he would know what was up. It turns out that I bruised my toenail, and I get to watch it die and fall off! Sweet! And gross! Mostly gross. But, kind of awesome.

Three miles tomorrow, and then I roll into Week 10 with a bruised toe, a nearly lost voice, and a knee that hates me.

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