Sunday: 3 ugly, uncomfortable miles on the treadmill, then a lift. To be expected after Saturday's fast 13 with B and the Dana-Farber crew.
Monday: Cross-training and too dull to spend any time describing.
Tuesday: 5.5(ish) with Jared in our home haunting grounds. He chose a new route, one that was surprisingly hilly and difficult--and one I suspect would be good for both of us to repeat regularly, to my equal dread and delight.
This week's DFMC group run was scheduled for Sunday, so I had planned to take Wednesday and Thursday off--a hedonistic two full days of rest, with no running, no cross-training, no lifting. Just resting. Ahh...resting. Friday I planned to sneak in somewhere between 6 and 8, then 3-4 on Saturday, as a rest/preparation for Sunday's long run.
Well, Friday threw me into utter and complete turmoil, as around 4:00 p.m., I learned that the Sunday run had been cancelled due to projected inclement weather.
Change of plans. Fellow DFMC'er Shifter agreed to set up an informal, unofficial run for any who wanted to join Saturday morning, and B quickly RSVP'd yes. I, knowing my beloved was experiencing some serious running withdrawals, RSVP'd plus one.
Clad in tights, fleeces, hats, and gloves, we hopped on the T, loaded with a fuel belt full of goodies--$6, my debit card, our Starbucks giftcard, water, Gu, and a new (for me) Luna energy chew. This pomegranate treat, similar to a fruit snack and delicious as it was, served a far nobler purpose. The last two weeks of long runs have left me feeling ill for most of the day afterward--the kind of sickly stomach dullness that leaves you heading for the bathroom hour upon the hour, in hopes that the toxins inside will be released. Since my diet hasn't changed, and the short runs aren't a problem, I pinpointed my energy gel of choice as a potential factor--and decided to try omitting the mint chocolate Gu, in favor of one Gu of a blander flavor, coupled with an alternative energy source. (Side note: This worked pretty well for me.)
At the Hynes stop, Brenda popped onto the same train as Jared and I, and the three of us rode to Woodland, Mile 17 of the official course, where we hoped to meet other runners--all three of them.
Jared, B, and I headed off at a steady trot, heading straight for B's house downtown, about 9 miles, and also right on the course--in fact a short (.2 miles to be exact) trot from the finish line. A nice fellow runner, Matt, joined us for a while, but turned around at 5 miles, to head back to his car at the T.
The three of us carried on, settling happily into a solid, neither blistering nor sedate clip, banging out the miles with much chipper chattering, and the occasional grumbling at the hills.
Passing Brenda's house, we continued on down Comm Ave, to part ways at the Public Garden. Brenda continued her loop, and Jared and I happily turned around--and despite what we'd expected, found ourselves clipping along at approximately the same pace as we headed the 3 miles home.
With two miles ago, conversation dwindled to a minimum as my beloved and I fought through the cold and our rapidly fatiguing muscles. A dizzy spell by Jared at 13.5 brought up something I hadn't previously thought of--a heavier, bigger body needs more calorie replacement than a smaller, lighter one, and what was enough calories for me to keep me fueled to run wasn't likely to be enough for Jared, 35 pounds heavier and 5 inches taller.
Luckily, some leftover Luna saved the day, and we ran our way to our local Starbucks, where the reward of two lattes made it all worthwhile.On a side note, though today was the longest run for me since last year's marathon, it was also the longest, and fastest run for Jared--ever. He remains not only a good sport, but also a supportive, and enjoyable running buddy.
Plus, if he ever gets too far in front of me, I can always just relax and enjoy the view.
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