A Painful 10

After getting only one run in mid-week when I had wanted to get two in, I thought a nice 10 miles would be good for a weekend run. Silly me using the words 10 miles and nice in the same sentence.

It started out great- I bumped into Jamie as I was heading to the road and we ran the first mile together before I turned off onto trails. I haven't run down CC Road since the fall. Now I remember why I was avoiding it. It has this hill that feels like it goes on forever. And doing it on slushy snow, mud and ice made my not-really-in-hill-shape-body take a turn for the slow.

But after you turn off CC road, there is a section of woods that I love to run through. It's so beautiful and it makes me feel like a elf. If only I could run with the grace and speed of an elf. Instead, I look more like a three-legged elephant trying to run across a frozen pond.

As I was running, I somehow missed the turn I wanted to take to loop back around to CC road. I was on a dirt road though, so I kept going and going. Finally, at 5 miles I called Jamie to have him try to figure out where the heck I was. I knew I had to turn around or find a loop back, because over 10 was not an option. Jamie was able to place me on the map, and I'm glad he got me turned back around.

Running is funny. Some days are rockin' good times- no matter what pace you're going. Other days are like you are trying to drag yourself through waist-high cement that is beginning to solidify. Today was a cement day for me. It took me 2.5 hours for today's run. And that doesn't count the stopping to figure out where I was. Or for the stop when I decided I needed to take the middle screw out of my right shoe right then and there if I was going to take another step.

I made it back in one piece though. My body is really tired and my big toes are blistered, but I've got another 10 miles under my belt, so hopefully the next 10 won't be so bad.