last long one done

mm.

weekend running turned out to be very minimal: just 3 easy if hilly miles with a friend conquering her asthma out of town. relaxing! i didn't even think to bring my garmin until hours after we were done! very nice. sunday night i got home from my three days of gallivanting, and i was TIRED, but i crosstrained, and it felt fine, a few calf twinges but nothing worrying.

due to weekend re-arrangements, i decided monday morning would be my last long run -- by long, i meant over 13 miles. and even though i was tired sunday night i have decided my longest runs need to all be first thing in the morning from now on. because my biggest concern about race day is rapidly becoming the irrationally early hour at which i will need to start running, and the ramifications for when i will have to get up, and so on. the body needs practice.

so i went to bed sunday at 1:30, i got up at 7:30. i don't know if that sounds wimpy to you but it was pretty rough in the moment. but: i did it. i had laid everything out the night before, but there is no point in hurrying if your digestive system isn't settled, so, i left when i was ready, at 8:45. this still doesn't really tell me when i need to get up on race morning, because that day once i leave the hotel, i won't be starting to run, i'll be walking a mile to the starting line and presumably then standing around in my corral or a bathroom line for some time... right, so, everything is still unknown. stress is silly.

yesterday, then. i ran 14 miles. i meant to run 15, but i ran slower than i expected, and so i ran out of time (i had a deadline to get home before my other half left for the day.) in fact: i ran faster than my 'plan' pace time, i just forget that i'm running slower than normal. i'm not running half marathon *race pace*, brain -- the goal was to keep the miles at 10 minutes, and instead i ran at a 9:50/mile overall, and while a couple miles were at 10:09, they were in the middle, and the majority of the time i was telling myself to slow down and not screw up early. really the only big obstacles were overall fatigue, and mental boredom. it wasn't easy; i wished i was home many times. but no cramping, no bonking, and no feelings of 'i am a failure at this'. i DID think 'how am i going to do another 12 miles?!'... but that seems like a perfectly sensible question.

so i am counting this as a slow-burn solid success. i ran more than a half marathon when i didn't really feel like i had the energy for a run. good sign, right?

from now out, i'm getting REST. and i'm not going to be drinking much (dad, it's my turn to DD home from (canadian) thanksgiving dinner, and for once it will be no sacrifice.) and i need to just... *not trip on anything* for the next while.

20 days to go. countdown is starting for real.