The Half Marathon: Pretty Damn Long!

by Maria Torres

Few of us know what we are capable of doing...we have never pushed ourselves hard enough to find out. -A. Montapert

I have run 52 miles since my last post, 25 of which I ran on my long weekend runs. My 12 mile run two weekends ago was excruciating and seemed to drag on forever, but luckily Stacy called right when I finished and we were able to commiserate. Much like Stacy's experience, I felt great until the last 2 miles, at which point my legs turned into 500 lb. weights. I finished, but it wasn't pretty. I can only imagine what I must have looked like. I was so hunched over that my back was probably bent at a 90 degree angle - I'm not entirely sure that this form would even be classified as "running." To make matters worse, the loop I ran wasn't long enough so I ended up circling the town streets over and over to get to 12 miles. I knew before I even began the run that day that it would be a difficult one, but I didn't expect to feel so drained at the end. Had that been the day of the marathon, I don't know if I would have made it.

That run would've been more daunting had it not been for a run-changing occurrence shortly thereafter: Justin and Stacy sent me the most amazing pair of sunglasses as an early birthday present!! Just a week earlier, I mentioned to Stacy that I had tried on a new pair of Oakley's that I loved. They just came out with a new line (the "Endure") made specifically for female athletes, and the "Edge" design fit my face perfectly. Sunglasses hardly ever fit my face so I was in love! I had been running in some designer sunglasses that did not reflect my athletic prowess ;) Now when I pass people on the trail, it's impossible for them to ignore that I'm dead serious about some running! I mean, if you saw this running by you, would you not take it seriously?:
HAHA


Seriously though, having these sunglasses when it's really sunny outside helps so much! I bet they'll be perfect when it starts snowing here, and lately it's looking like that could be any day now.

For the 13 mile run on Sunday, I wanted to go somewhere different for a change of scenery. David and I picked out a couple of paths in Ridgway - a small town about an hour away from here. There's a big reservoir located within the state park there, and you can get to the trails through different access points. Since it was getting late and the run would take approximately two hours, we just picked out a few paths to circle around. It was the first time in the entire training program that I've run on pavement, and it was much different than trail running. For one, the absence of rocks and other obstacles on the course made it easier to focus on other things, like the sun beating down mercilessly around 5 p.m. that day. I know running on pavement is also harder on the joints and knees, and I definitely felt that around mile 7.

Speaking of mile 7, that's when I was circling back to my car to quickly drink some watered-down Gatorade (I can't drink it full strength :) and swallow some energy gel. Not fully thinking it through, I placed Sooie's leash down on the car seat. When I reached down to grab Sooie's leash not more than 30 seconds later, it had disappeared along with my little running companion. The running path, which was right in front of my car, ran parallel to the highway. I went into panic mode. I immediately spotted her on the path in the distance, leash still attached, and started screaming "TREAT" while sprinting after her. She stopped, lifted her head up as if to weigh her options, and decided to continue full speed in the other direction.

I knew she was attempting to catch up to David and Bodhi (our other dog), and that I wouldn't be able to catch her on foot. So I sprinted back to my car and drove 70 mph down a 25 mph road until I caught up with her. I spotted her, and she looked lost and confused - she suddenly realized she wasn't going to catch up to David and had no idea where her mom was. haha. Once she saw me, she perked up and ran as fast as she could to the car. I drove right back to my parking spot, encountered some bewildered stares from nearby picnickers, puppy-proofed the car, rolled down the windows for Sooie (it was cool outside by this point), and set out for the remaining 6 miles solo with my adrenaline re-stocked. Never a dull moment, I tell ya.

Here's the little trouble-maker:



This was actually a great run! I felt really good the entire run (with the exception of the few minutes where I envisioned my puppy as roadkill) and still had energy when I finished. There were even a couple of moments along the run where I felt like I could go on forever - in particular, when the sun was setting and reflecting off of the water onto me. I felt like such a runner! It's these kinds of experiences - which I also consider adventures - that remind me why I love running so much. A great run can be eye-opening, invigorating, and utterly exhausting all at the same time.

One final note: I just want to say that I'm really proud of you Dad for getting back out and training again!! My Dad developed stress fractures on the top of his foot from training, and after taking a couple of weeks off to let them heal, he's trying to get back on schedule instead of bowing out. Keep it up Stevie! :)