20 miles. done.

20Well, actually 19, but I think it's close enough to call it 20.  And it went pretty well, actually.  I had finally wrapped my little brain around the fact that we were going to log the big two-zero on a treadmill, but on Saturday morning it ended up being sunny and beautiful, and actually got quite warm during the run. Sorry, though...no pictures. We took some, but I don't have them yet. When I get them, I will post them.

Although I usually figure out where we are going to run, this time my buddy, Jayme, put the course together. I have to say it was kind of nice to not have to worry about that. It can get pretty time consuming sitting on mapmyrun.com and trying to think of running routes, and I simply didn't have time last week.  She chose a 20 mile loop that involved running on some old highways. It was pavement all the way, and the roads were not busy traffic-wise, so we could run out on the road for most of the way instead of off on the side.

The first five miles were a breeze, except that Jayme realized she was overdressed and I realized I didn't have sunscreen on (we both struggled with the "treadmill to road" transition).  And, while she was able to shed a layer, all I kept thinking about was how badly I was going to be burned after the run. Since I am a pale blondie, the sun is not my friend.  Especially not after spending three hours outside sweating. 

Around mile 11, Jayme's leg started bothering her. She had gotten a charlie horse a couple of days earlier, and it was still really tight.  She is a really strong runner, but I could tell she was hurting. What a trooper, though...she just kept at it, logging one mile after another.  Our pace was a little slower than we usually run, but it was probably for the best considering the amount of miles we had to run.

I felt really good until somewhere around mile 16, and then I started to wilt a little. Although I usually run with Sportbeans, I am not loving them as much as I used to, so decided instead to try a powerbar.  I think it is really rough to chew and run at the same time, and I had a difficult time eating it. I washed it down with some water and it did make me feel better.  I guess I just needed some fuel!

We also picked up a springer spaniel somewhere around mile 9, and he stuck with us the whole way.  We finished our run, and there was the pooch, panting and just happy to be with us.  We called the Highway Patrol dispatch, but neither wanted to do anything about the dog.  Their suggestions were that we either left him there or drove him 60 miles to an animal shelter, because the pound wouldn't come get him.  WTH?!?!  I informed them that I had just finished running 20 miles and an hour-long car ride was not in the cards for me right now.  Then, I drove the pooch back where we found him and let him out of the car.   I should explain that the dog did have a collar and looked well-fed; he just didn't have a tag on, so I didn't know for sure which house he belonged to. Once I let him out of the car, he started running down the road, so I feel pretty comfortable that he knew where he was going.  Let that be a lesson to you dog owners; put tags on your pooches! 

The next two weeks I start my taper, so I won't be running nearly as many miles as I was. I have to say, I am looking forward to that.  I do feel, though, that after Saturday's run that we will be able to finish the marathon in about 3 hours and 40 minutes.  The last six miles will be no joke; I most definitely felt that over the weekend.  My legs were very wobbly the last couple of miles, and I had to run up on the road instead of on the side, because the decline was hurting my hip.  My new friend, Mark, who just ran the Boston in 3 hours (yes, 3 hours. wow) told me to just take those last miles one at a  time. That's just what we're going to do.