Unexpected surprises with this 11 mile run

Before I get started with all of the details of this week's long run, I want to be clear that it was MY FASTEST LONG RUN & 11 MILES EVER!!!!!

11 miles
1:48 total time
9:51 pace

The 9's!  I've never finished a double digit mile run with a pace in the 9s!  The closest I've come was a couple of weeks ago with a finish pace of 10:14 with my 10 mile training run.  I've been practicing getting faster.  I've done my hill work.  I've been cross training like mad.  I have done my homework, people, and it's finally paying off!  

We started off headed the opposite direction (leaving from home).  I chose this route hoping it would help my shins.  It did.  I have shin pain if I start of going downhill.  When we go our "usual route", the first four miles are downhill.  By mile 2, I'm in a lot of pain.  As long as we're on somewhat flat ground, it's all good.  Such a nice change!!!

I spent many, many miles of this run "in the zone".  In my own head. Miles were ticking along.  I would hear my Garmin beep at each mile, and would think how quickly the time had gone by.  About the only thing that continually bothered me was my need to stop and pee every 5 feet!  I didn't recall being bloated or consuming extra sodium recently, so the need to pee this often was baffling me.  I would get into the porta potty, and would barely have anything to let loose.  It was annoying!  (Fellow runners, we all know what a pain in the ass it is to get those sweaty running tights back in the "right spot" once we've pulled them down.)  I finally stopped stopping for the restroom after round three of trying because I realized it was my mind playing tricks on me. Sigh.

Spring is getting closer!  It was a beautiful day to run.

It's easy to be in the zone when it's so peaceful out.

Around mile 6, on the Salmon Creek Trail, I became very, very dizzy.  I felt as though I might vomit.  It came over me rather quickly and suddenly.  I'm still not 100% sure what that was about.  It was really odd for me to do this.  The only other times I've ever done that is when I was going way faster than usual or when it's super hot out.  It was warmer than what we've been running in lately, but nothing harsh.  I wasn't overdressed.  I had plenty of water, electrolytes, sugars, etc.  I wonder if the increased temps, increased humidity, and a tad faster than normal pace got to me?  I don't know, but nothing was terribly extreme.  Kent and I both wonder if I was hyperventilating a bit?  I did notice I was gasping for air when I stopped.  Very unlike me. Who knows what the problem was.

Hints of green are starting to appear more and more as the weeks move along.

We've had a lot of rain. You can see how high the water level was just a few days ago!

When we started up the hill, at the end of mile 6, I realized how tired I had become.  I honestly wanted to stop and walk home from mile 7 on, but I kept going. I was in my own head again.  Everything was quiet.  As we approached the 205 bridge, I heard what sounded like someone loudly screaming HELP, HELP, HELP!!!!  I looked over to see what it was, only to find it was a peacock screaming at us!  It was the strangest thing I've ever heard.  Almost like a rather loud Siamese cat.  Not to mention, my heart was beating out of my chest.  This creature was fairly close to the road.  So it was LOUD.  [Note to self, never have a pet peacock because they make terrible screeching noises that sound like a woman screaming for help.]

Running along side the cage....SCREAMING!

Still SCREAMING, but with feathers fanned out.

We stopped at mile 8, a decision making point regarding the route, and I was totally beat.  I was never so happy to stop for a minute and rest.  I seriously wondered how in the hell I was going to make it home running.  Either way we chose to go, there were hills involved.  Our options were to go up through campus on the bark trails or stay on pavement all the way home.  At that point, I needed to keep things super easy on my already worn out body.  I chose to stay on paved road. Bark chip trails make me feel as though I'm working five times harder than need be.  (It feels like running in sand, to me.)  I couldn't even fathom the thought, at that point.  All I could think of was getting home & into a hot shower.

After making it up all of the hills, just before the 10 mile mark, my left calf began to cramp like mad.  I stopped long enough to stretch it a bit.  Then, I looked down at my Garmin.  I could not believe what it said.  Average pace......9:53!!!  WHAT???  How did I not see that all along?  I had been so focused on trying to keep myself steady & more consistent than usual, I never bothered to think of the average speed. I took off with new hope, new energy, and new determination.  I did NOT want to see my pace slip into the tens.  I had worked so hard the entire run, I refused to blow it that last mile. I have been making a point lately to make that last mile faster than the previous mile.  This time, I had that goal in mine, but also wanted to get my average pace below that 9:53 mark.

That last quarter of a mile or so, my left IT band began to sting.  Nothing on me, other than shin pain going downhill, has been hurting lately, so you can imagine how disheartening this pain was to me.  I haven't had IT issues in quite a while.  As a matter of fact, I spent a lot of time this past summer and fall babying my knees.  This left side bugged me, badly, all last spring.  I hobbled my way to the finish line at the Corvallis Half Marathon last April, after walking the last three miles of the race.  My goal this year (for Corvallis) is to not only be able to run the race uninjured, but also set a new half marathon PR for myself. By mile 20 of the Vancouver USA Marathon last June, I thought my knees were done for good.  I certainly don't want to aggravate them again, but I cannot afford more physical therapy at this point in time.  I know my issues stem from hip alignment issues.  I think it's time to go in and make sure all is well in the hip department. 


Here's the mile by mile breakdown:
Mile 1 9:35
Mile 2 9:40
Mile 3 9:33
Mile 4 9:42
Mile 5 9:38
Mile 6 9:29
Mile 7 9:43 (Gradual hill starting)
Mile 8 10:23  (It was a hill that seemed to never end)
Mile 9 10:45 (Bigger hill leading up to the hospital)
Mile 10 10:15 (This was the end of the hill & my left calf had a bad cramp)
Mile 11 9:37 (Ended with a negative from previous mile!!!)
Last 25 Feet 6:23 (No clue where this came from!!!)

All in all, I am so glad I didn't stop when I wanted to (mile 8).  I would have been happy at that point to just walk home.  I am very proud of myself. Unlike last week, I did not set a goal for this run. I'm glad I didn't. I think that would have limited me. I tend to only work toward the goal instead of pushing harder.

{Quick Health Update}
After the run, my lower back was killing me.  I kept having to pee every 15 minutes or so, and that's when I realized, I have a urinary tract infection.  Uggg!  How did I miss it earlier in the day?  Sometimes, when I run, I feel like I have to pee within the first couple of miles, but nothing is there.  It's more of a muscular thing for me, I think.  I just assumed that's what was going on, but for an extended amount of time.  I should have known this was different.  I was so tired during the entire run.  I simply should have clued into what was going on, but missed it.  I made a quick trip to urgent care for a test, which came back positive.  Now I have pain pills and antibiotics.  Looking back, that might have been what the barfy feeling and dizziness was all about around the 5 mile mark.  I haven't had one of these in many years.  I had forgotten how miserable they are, and that they get worse before feeling better.  ICK.  Here's to feeling better soon!

{Quick Camera Update}
My images have been super-sucky lately.  Sorry about that!  My favorite little camera has finally become too tired to drag along with us on runs.  I keep trying....it keeps protesting.  The flash no longer works, and it's so dreary here, we need flash.  Never fear, a new camera has been purchased, and ready to roll for next week's run!  I hope it makes snapping memories of our weekly long runs a little more pleasurable.  :)

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