Arrrgggg!!!

Today I ran (I'm using that term loosely since I actually did a fair amount of walking too) the longest I've run since starting all this... 14.4 miles. I have to say that although there was a moment when I realized I was almost done where I thought to myself "YES! I did it!!", this run sucked :P I was slow, it was painful and when I got home I got the chills and wanted to puke. I started doubting that I could possibly pull off a full marathon and I hate that feeling that I can't do something I've decided to do!

But trying to stay on the bright side, there were many things I learned on this run:

1. Adding even one more mile can change how you feel about your running clothes! My favorite running outfit is no longer my favorite. I had chafing for the first time... under my arms, under my breasts (which makes no sense to me since I am fairly flat chested!) and in the small of my back (I think from the tag on my pants?). One thing I know for sure... chafing sucks! lol And I need to figure out how not to do THAT anymore!

2. Cut my toenails before my long runs, even if I don't think they need it!

3. Don't take 8 days off then jump right back into the running schedule that assumed you'd been following it all along... maybe ease back in a little first :P

4. Big hills at the beginning of a run can ruin the entire rest of the run if you try to take them too fast. I know this from training horses, but allowed my heart rate to get too high anyway, well into the anaerobic threashold I'm sure.

5. I need to work on a fueling strategy of some sort... eating a banana then running for hours and not taking anything in but some water appears to shut down your digestive system and that's kinda painful :P

6. It's time to do some research! I mean, when I started training my horse for endurance I was aware that I knew nothing about it so I researched it first. But running seems like the most natural thing and I just started doing it. Well, maybe running is the most natural thing, but running long distances is obviously NOT lol. So it occurs to me that maybe I need to learn some stuff before I kill myself with my own ignorance hehehe.

I'm trying not to think about the half marathon next weekend because if my time is anything like it was today, it's gonna be way worse than my last one. Besides, I did sign up for it just to keep me honest and make sure I was putting in the miles... so I'll try to concentrate on that. Until then I'm doing some SHOPPING lol.

Soooo glad tomorrow's an off day!