Finally we had some nice weather and after a morning of procrastination and gear gathering, I hit the road just after the clock struck noon. I took a different route today as 35K in a figure 8 loop wasn't going to cut it. I ran on main roads through a couple towns in a 'Big Loop' as I purposely wanted to stray far from home. Reduces the potential for 'drift'.
The new scenery was worth it and the pace of the cars was motivating. It really beat 3.5 hours of running through neighborhoods! The route took me down some real country roads, though - as in straight, narrow, surrounded by cornfields and farms. Made that portion FEEL really looooooong.
My pace held up for each 10K split, averaging only a few seconds + or - off perfect consistency. I had to push it a little the last 5K to keep pace, though.
At 32KM, I hit a real rough time and felt the reduced pace. It wasn't an energy thing or hydration - my feet hurt. I felt the blisters and while I was determined to go the distance, I knew it would be a cost. I guess my mind was pre-occupied with my feet (sounds kinda strange) and the road started getting long. At 34km, I got the best boost I could have ever hoped for:
IMFL baby....I got the message at 34km today. And the icing on the cake followed it:
'Nuff said!
PS - thanks to Peter for the ice bath tip. Will see if it worked tomorrow!!
So, how do you feel this morning? Did the ice bath help? Add more water so your quads are covered with freezing water.
ReplyDeletei'm pretty sore
You know, P, the bath wasn't all that bad. There was a point where I got little shivers, but it didn't last. Can't say it was 'fun', but it worked. I'm walking fine this am - a little stiffer but much better than expected. I can at least function completely normally! And I did add water after the pic was taken. Now hoping the blisters will heal quickly - if anything hurts, they do!
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the tip...ready to take on the day!