Getting Closer

Miles to date: 248

Much has happened since the last update. I have logged my two longest runs yet (a 17 miler on the 4th and an 18 miler on the 11th) and d-day is approaching with frightening speed.

We'll start at the most logical place: the beginning. After Earl came by and barely shook hands with the eastern seaboard, I went out for the 17 miler. Meghan was kind enough to agree to meet me at a few points along the run to provide water, food and a brief break. The run was a bit difficult as I got a terrible calf cramp at mile three that hurt like heck through mile six and then went away enough that I could manage to finish the run.

I felt strong through the majority of the course but hit a huuuuuuge wall around mile 15. The last two were extremely painful but I finished in about 2:45 and didn't feel like the world was ending after the run, which is always a positive.

Due to the aforementioned calf cramp, I was pretty sore for a few days after the run. So sore in fact that I opted to skip my Tuesday 5-miler. Never happy to miss a workout but sometimes it can be addition by subtraction.

Last weeks runs went fairly well. It's at the point where it is difficult to find the time to put in an eight mile run either before or after work though. Getting up at 5 to run for over an hour before work is not the ideal way to start my day.

This weekend I was debating doing the Nahant 30-K race with Roger and Steph, however due to some obligations on Sunday, I decided it made more sense to do the run on Saturday and just get it out of the way.

Finding 18 miles to run is not as easy as one would think. I finally decided to do a course from my house down to the Fresh Pond area in Cambridge and then looping around the esplanade from the Elliot Bridge down to the Museum of Science. The first half of the run went very well, once again Meghan was kind enough to meet me on Memorial drive and offer a brief respite.

Unknown to me, Saturday was the annual Heart-Walk along the Esplanade. What this means is that I spent over four miles trying to get around thousands of people taking up the entire path. I think I said "On your left!" more times in that 30 or so minutes more than I ever have in my life. That was the beginning of the end. After finally crossing the Elliot bridge and beginning the last two or three miles back I am pretty sure I lost my will to live. A water stop with Meghan at mile 16 helped a bit but then I had to start running for an uphill mile. At this point I realized that discretion is the better part of valor and declared that a little walking never hurt anyone. Once I finally crested the long gradual hill on Belmont Street I resumed a forward shuffle (it wasn't a run at this point) and finished in almost exactly three hours.

It is worth noting that I managed to avoid injury and calamity on both a 17 and 18 mile run but then managed to get enormous blisters on the back of my heels on Sunday while wearing boat shoes.

This week should be interesting as I try not to exacerbate that problem any further and not compromise my training schedule.