Brrrrrr.........baby it's COLD outside.
What a chilly week here in St. Louis! No snow, of course, but below freezing temperatures for most of the week. I was "lucky" enough to brave the elements for three of my five runs this week. Talk about miserable - I now understand where the term "blistery cold" comes from. I actually broke out in hives it was so cold!
I started out the week pretty sore and achy from my race last Saturday. I guess that was to be expected from pushing myself a little too hard for my weekly long run. I must remember to slow down next weekend. (yeah right.) I took it pretty easy Sunday and took Monday as a rest day to recover. Tuesday and Wednesday I was back at it - unfortunately, on the treadmill, as I was actually expected to do some work this week and put in some time at the office. Ryan has been so supportive and understanding about my training. He's gotten use to eating dinner super late so I can run after work. And he's been great about making us dinner or getting my favorite carryout dinners so I have time to relax and calm down after my run. I can't thank him enough for taking such good care of me.
Friday's run felt so great! I ran outside and although it was chilly, I felt better than I had in a long time. I ran all the way through downtown Webster Groves and had to force myself to turn around because it was getting dark. At that point I felt like I could run for days without stopping. Unfortunately, the return from Webster is mostly uphill and I wanted to die by the time I got home. But it was good while it lasted.
Friday night I could barely sleep in anticipation (dread) of my extremely freezing cold run Saturday morning run. First of all, I don't do mornings. Secondly, I hate eating breakfast b/c it makes me sick to my stomach. Third, I don't like to be cold. So, you can imagine my concern about getting up around 5:00 a.m. to eat breakfast (must have fuel) so I have time to digest and process the carbs into energy for my 7:00 a.m. 12 mile run. YUCK! I thought about skipping the group run and running by myself later that day, once it warmed up a little bit. But, one of the major reasons I signed up for TNT was to have people I could run with and make some friends in the process. So, I drove to Grant's Trail...and I was the only person there. Seriously! I was a little peeved. My coach Rhonda (a total sweetheart who completely felt my pain) told me to go ahead and get started. So I started running...by myself. The plan was to do 12 miles, but half way into the first mile I wanted to cry and turn around and go home. It was SO COLD! What the hell was I thinking?
Weekly recap:Friday's run felt so great! I ran outside and although it was chilly, I felt better than I had in a long time. I ran all the way through downtown Webster Groves and had to force myself to turn around because it was getting dark. At that point I felt like I could run for days without stopping. Unfortunately, the return from Webster is mostly uphill and I wanted to die by the time I got home. But it was good while it lasted.
Friday night I could barely sleep in anticipation (dread) of my extremely freezing cold run Saturday morning run. First of all, I don't do mornings. Secondly, I hate eating breakfast b/c it makes me sick to my stomach. Third, I don't like to be cold. So, you can imagine my concern about getting up around 5:00 a.m. to eat breakfast (must have fuel) so I have time to digest and process the carbs into energy for my 7:00 a.m. 12 mile run. YUCK! I thought about skipping the group run and running by myself later that day, once it warmed up a little bit. But, one of the major reasons I signed up for TNT was to have people I could run with and make some friends in the process. So, I drove to Grant's Trail...and I was the only person there. Seriously! I was a little peeved. My coach Rhonda (a total sweetheart who completely felt my pain) told me to go ahead and get started. So I started running...by myself. The plan was to do 12 miles, but half way into the first mile I wanted to cry and turn around and go home. It was SO COLD! What the hell was I thinking?
The temperature was 9 degrees with a negative windchill that stung my face so bad it felt as if my face was on fire. I could not believe I was running in this weather. I was wearing Under Armor Cold Gear tights, with Nike Cold Weather thick running pants, two long-sleeved technical t-shirts, fleece zip-up sweatshirt, North Face jacket, hat, headband, two pairs of gloves and Smartwool socks. And I was still freezing!! The very thought of me being this "hard-core" about running made me laugh out loud. When did I become a real runner?? I was amazed - and pretty impressed with myself, actually. I spent the next two miles smiling (with my lips closed so my teeth wouldn't freeze) and thinking about my RA friends who have convinced me to HTFU!!! At mile 6, as I ran by the beautiful Anheuser Busch clydesdales, I was cold, but was on top of the world! And then I came rapidly crashing back down to earth when I turned around and ran the 6 miles back directly into the bitter wind. With one mile left to go I was convinced that my legs had turned to ice and would shatter with any excessive mpact. I even thought about running on my tiptoes. I think perhaps the cold had gotten to my brain, at that point. I went home, took a shower so hot that my skin nearly turned purple and went back to bed for a four hour nap.
I also had a nice surprise with my fundraising efforts this week. I received a very generous check from my friend's parents for $500!! That put me above my fundraising goal of $2,500!! YIPPEE!! I'm so excited to have met my goal and to be able to help fight cancer and hopefully find a cure. All of my efforts have been in the memory of Ryan Brown, who deeply touched so many people in the short time he was here. I'm very honored to be able to do this on his behalf. I'd like to keep the fundraising going - let's try to get to $3,000!! Every little bit counts. Thank you SO VERY MUCH to every single person that has helped me in my efforts - you all are fantastic and I could not have done this without YOU.
I also had a nice surprise with my fundraising efforts this week. I received a very generous check from my friend's parents for $500!! That put me above my fundraising goal of $2,500!! YIPPEE!! I'm so excited to have met my goal and to be able to help fight cancer and hopefully find a cure. All of my efforts have been in the memory of Ryan Brown, who deeply touched so many people in the short time he was here. I'm very honored to be able to do this on his behalf. I'd like to keep the fundraising going - let's try to get to $3,000!! Every little bit counts. Thank you SO VERY MUCH to every single person that has helped me in my efforts - you all are fantastic and I could not have done this without YOU.
Sunday: 3.3 miles
Tuesday: 7.0
Wednesday: 5.0
Friday: 6.25
Saturday: 12.0
Total: 33.6 miles
Whoa. NINE degrees? With wind?!?! No wonder no one else showed up!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteBut good for you! You SHOULD be proud of yourself!!:)
I'm sitting here thinking that the 19 degrees we've got right now might not be so bad. I only have to run a 5 or 6 this morning but man, 19 degrees makes me shiver. I can't imagine NINE! LOL
Oh and thanks for the tips on running with four leggers. I think I'll wait until this coming Sunday and take Jack for a one or two mile jog. I'd like to see how he handles it before I commit myself (and him!) to a short run.
Oh My Gosh, Sara! You make my heart swell in pride in knowing you! What a great post through and through. You're an amazing woman and were SO disciplined this week especially in getting in that BRUTAL long run! I am SO stoked that you have made your fundraising goal! That is so awesome! And, to recognize all the sacrifices Ryan is making and the awesome things he is doing for you to support you in this endeavor is so heart-warming. This is a HUGE sacrifice not just on our parts, but our family and friends as well. So, Sara's friends... cut her some slack! She's one remarkable woman! ;-)
ReplyDeleteHey, wow! I just wanted to say that I am honored to have made it to your blog-roll. With the likes of Claire, who is simply gifted, and Marion, who is simply gifted, and not to mention the hostess's page... I am truly humbled by my company. Thanks!
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Keep it up Sarah. It is amazing that you are able to remain so dedicated. Congrats on keeping pace with your training. I had a blast reading your post this week! I actually laughed out loud at the descriptions of your miserable experiences. You did a great job of explaining your obstacles. Mix up and whip up some good eats this week as a reward. Call me if you cook too much!
ReplyDeleteSo, what'd you and Ryan think of the film? I thought it was both inspiring and raised my anxiety level at the same time! GAH! I'm kinda glad I'm runnin' a dinky race in that there are only about 300 full marathon runners in the race I am running. Only bad thing is, low crowd support. But, since it's in my backyard so to speak, I should have lots of family and friends there to cheer me on... IF I pay them enough! BAH!
ReplyDeleteHi Sara!! I hope your training's going well this week despite the freezing temps. It's -7 up here in Milwaukee!! Have you seen Spirit of the Marathon? We saw it last night. It was decent, but did not capture how amazing you'll feel when you've finsihed the race. Just remember to take advantage of the training experience - you'll learn so much about yourself, physically and mentally. Are you still doing Bikram? Justin and I are taking an Iyengar class right now, it's really helped my posture (which could use LOTS of help). Can't wait to see you next weekend! Lindsa
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your run/race this weekend, Sara! Don't forget to kick the walkers away from the old people before the race, that way your a shoe-in not to come in last like me! ;-)
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