So even though Laramie reported a high in the upper 50s on Sunday (and with nary a wind gust approaching 20 mph), I still headed down to Fort Collins to run 20 miles on the Poudre and Spring Creek Trails. I set off at what I thought was a leisurely, long run pace but it felt quick for some reason. But I stayed with it.
Now, why do I not have specifics as to the nature of the pace? There are no mile markers on either path. And my heart rate monitor didn't work. I licked it, I dumped water on it, then I dumped some more water on it, and still the display on my watch read "---." So my $200 watch is now... a watch.
I ran. And I completely drank all of four Fuel Belt bottles of stuff — 12 ounces of water, 12 ounces of Fierce Grape Gatorade. Got to see some of the same places I did when I ran there a few weeks back. That's how I can honestly say I ran 20 miles. Still, I just stopped and walked when my watch read 3 hours. That's all my legs would take. My IT bands started revolting at 2:30, and then they twisted like hair ribbons after my last fuel stop at 2:45. So I decided I'd walk the last little bit if it meant I could extend my legs to reach the pedals of my car.
Oh yeah, genius that I am, I forgot to pack Sport Stick in my bag. That's the stuff that will allow my thighs rub together without creating enough friction to start a fire. By the last 15 minutes I was running bowlegged, so you can imagine what it felt like when I applied the first of three coats of aloe that night. Lessen (ow) learned.
I'm OK with the run but I need to figure out how to push out that pain threshold. Or maybe just get my legs used to running great distances. Training probably would do me some good. It's warmed up now so I have no excuses for blowing off workouts. I have 48 days left as of today.
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