Yesterday, Husband set about on the all day task of making Chicago-style deep dish pizzas for supper. As it is an all day task, I get one just slightly more regularly than I actually go to Chicago, but I'll take it whenever I can get it, and outside of Chicago, this is the only way I can get it. Husband has a killer dough recipe and as we have three deep dish pans, Husband, Stepson and I all get our own custom pizza. Somehow, since the last time we had it, I got bumped from the Medium "Mama" sized pan down to the tiny "Baby Bear" pan. I repeat, I'll take it. I ate half of it. Friends, if you don't know, this is an insane amount of dough and cheese and "toppings" (they're actually middlings, as they are between the two crusts). We all were nearly in shock upon completion. The only way I know to boost oneself out of a near food coma is with a slice of Triple Chocolate Cheesecake, which I had after my half pizza pie. Appalling, I know. However, I knew I would be running today, so I took my chances on doubling myself in size overnight.
I actually set the alarm to get up with the sun today - I needed to get my run complete by 8 to avoid 85+ heat index. I had checked the Fitness Forecast last night and apparently we are expecting thunderstorms and 108 heat index this afternoon. According to the Fitness Forecast, that is still moderately comfortable for outdoor fitness. Meaning, on their scale of 1-3 for comfort, it was ranked a 2. I disagree, so I was up bright and early. It was overcast, so of course I re-checked the weather and everything seemed safe and sound.
My stomach hurt this morning. (It's worth it, I don't care.) I popped a Gingin before I ran, yum. I also wore my Under Armour pants for the second time. Since the sun wasn't out, they did seem to help keep my legs cool. I still don't get the compression part...It's hard to say, since I don't feel well and haven't run in a week, but I still feel like they make it harder to move.
I paid extra attention to my calf stretches this morning, but as soon as I started running, I definitely felt pain in my left Achilles. My options were to stop or continue on a quest for a 25 minute run, as my last attempt turned in only 20 minutes. I kept going.
I had decided to go back to my route that takes me up and down a million hills and out to the edge of town, despite the theory that the hills may be what's hurting my Achilles. Since I ran that route in 24 minutes before, I also decided to take a turn in Post-Apocalypticaville, and run around a block - essentially just adding two blocks to my route, which I estimated to be around a minute.
There was absolutely no one out. No cars, no people. I was pondering the creepiness as I got back on my route and out popped another runner from around the corner. Yay! My 2nd Other Runner spotting! We smiled and waved, and carried on with our craziness.
I did end up having to stop at the one significant cross street for traffic, each way. The first time, I had to stop for several cars, but kept walking in place. I was really, really exhausted today. This route definitely encourages you to get your breath back on the flat or downhill sections before the next hill appears, but today I was just barely moving on. Of course, I wanted to go somewhat slow to survive, but I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it the full 25 today.
When I got to the approximate halfway point, I was past halfway in time, I think. It was close. I didn't spend a lot of time worrying about it, because I wasn't going to make it back anyway. Somehow, I made it to the turnaround, and started the long slow trek back. I kept checking the time, because I was no longer expecting my house to be the finish line.
I kept hoping that the time would finish before the next hill, and I kept having to drag up another hill. Finally, I got almost to the big downhill, before the horrible uphill a block from home. I made it up the hill prior, telling myself that the downhill would be easy, and there's no way I would have to tackle that last uphill. There was a lot of telling myself to "Harden the 'f' up," per my super-motivational sirius dj, Jason Ellis.
It continues to surprise me how even going downhill can be so miserable. I really was just power walking at this point, but all I could focus on was the giant hill on the other side of Post-Apocalypticaville. Thankfully, time was up in the Bottoms. Whoa, does that mean I just survived the 20 minute mark, the 24, and made it to the 25?! After a week off!?
That's freaking great, but how am I supposed to make it the quarter of a mile home from here? As I walked, very slowly, I decided I should go back to bed when I got home. I mean, what self-respecting unemployed person is up and exercising at this hour!? Maybe I can keep getting up before the dreadful heat, so long as I keep crawling back into bed upon completion. I managed to actually clean up and get dressed properly instead. I put some Burt's Bees on my feet, and there appears to be no skin on the top of my middle right toe. Curious. It's not like a blister, or raw, it's just peeling off. Ew. As the day wore on, my left knee also got a little sore, on the outside.
Ah, but I get ahead of myself. I made it home. My legs were tingling like crazy - is this the compression acting? My stomach hurt and I was very, very nauseous. I went into the fetal position, on my back, in the bottom of the recliner, where I realized I could do calf stretches. Yay. I haven't been doing post-run stretches as there are, of course, a million opinions on when stretching is best, and I have stuck with the pre-run only discipline. However, given the state of my Achilles, I thought it might be a good idea. Especially if it could be accomplished from the fetal position.
As my runs have gotten more painful, I mean longer, I have noticed that the only thing that pulls me out of the fetal position is my desire to check my distance and race predictors. I was pleasantly surprised to see I almost made it 2 miles, and although my 5K time crept back over 40, I was still pleased, because it didn't feel very fast at all. I guess I just completely mis-estimated my extra minute's distance that I needed.
I had been pretty proud of myself for not working myself into a frenzy over the clouds this morning, and just heading out. I mean, I still checked the forecast, but I didn't dwell on the utter lack of sun. Within 20 minutes of being home, it was BLACK outside. If that had come up when I was running, I would've been looking for the nearest condemned house to hide out in. It never actually rained, but I hate how quickly it comes up around here!
Next run is tomorrow, a repeat of today. And, so I send Week 9 off into history.
Weather: 79, Mostly Cloudy, Allegedly 11mph wind, 85% Humidity, Feels Like 82
Time: 7:30am; Run 25 minutes
Distance: 3.17K (1.97m)
Elevation: +83.4/-87.8/net -4.5 ft
5K/10K: 40:54/1:26:28 (highest since 7/22, but better than I thought it would be)
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