Running Log, Week 13

• 13 Feb 2005
• running

Mileage for week: 29

Number of run days: 4

Long run for week: 17

Aches, pains, complaints: I just got back in from that 17, so this is probably not the best taking-stock moment ever — but good gravy, everything hurts. The 17 was composed of — and probably only those in the Claremont-know will be at all impressed, but nonetheless — 3.5 miles from home to the parking lot on Mills at the top of the Thompson Creek Trail, 2.5 miles down the trail, 2.5 miles back up the trail, 2.5 miles down the trail, 2.5 miles back up the trail, and 3.5 miles from the parking lot back home. So in other words, half the run was dead uphill, and the other half downhill. I covered the entire distance in 3.20, and that includes 15 minutes of waiting in the parking lot for last week’s running partner (who did not show) and another 5ish minutes of waiting at various lights, stopping for water, etc. So 17 miles in something like three hours. I should be all kinds of impressed with myself.

Instead, I’m a bad combination of panicky and delirious. The delirious part bears no explanation. Panicky, though, because of the degree to which I Felt Bad during the last five miles of the run, particularly as combined with the knowledge that in three weeks, I’ve got that much to do plus another NINE miles. Seriously — that’s a minimum of another hour and a half of running, if I’m still able to run at that point.

It’s conceivable that the excitement of the event and having company along the way will help carry me through that last third of the marathon. But it’s also conceivable that I’m going to be in some serious trouble, particularly given that from mile 15 on, the course is predominantly uphill. Unless something goes really, really wrong, I’ll finish, but I may finish walking, I’m afraid.

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