Slacking on the blogging - but not on the running!

Sorry for the absence of an update - and boy do I have one!

Last Sunday, March 22, I ran my first ever 15K - a total of 9.3 miles!!! YAHOO!!!

Ok, so "yahoo!" was my thought at the moment I crossed the finish line... but it was then followed with "Holy crap..." and a feeling of elation mixed with utter exhaustion. I definitely reached my first real breaking point. I was BEAT.

After googling what happens to people after true long-distance runs, suddenly I didn't feel so crazy. Apparently, it's normal to not be able to function much for at least a few hours following these races. I came home, showered, and laid down - only to stay there for a 2.5 hour nap!! My body apparently needed it. I'm just so glad I didn't schedule anything immediately following the race!

My cousin, a runner, tells me that I should expect to feel this way after every upcoming long-distance run (as they just keep getting longer). The upside? In a few weeks, 9.3 miles will feel like a warm-up. Or so I hope... :)

It's interesting to note that these runs, in their entirety - aren't fun. But nothing really beats accomplishing these runs... and somehow that translates to - when someone asks me how a run went, I say "It was great! A lot of FUN."

What?!?! Yes, the cramping of my quads was great. I especially liked the part where I had to massage my butt muscles to prevent them from cramping too. And then, when I took my energy gel at mile 6, I almost puked. It was SWEET! Gosh, I can't wait to do it again. It was so much fun!

Yet somehow... that's actually what I think. I remember all the crappy parts about the run... and I still can't wait to do it again. I guess I've met my match... and his name is Running.

Your crazy-in-the-head-and-happy-in-the-heart runner,
Kelly

I broke the 10K mark!

I finally did it! I ran 8 miles yesterday - my longest distance yet to date!

I was quite intimidated by the idea of running anything more than my previous "long run" of 10K, or 6.2 miles. Luckily, I made a good iPod mix, carried water with me, promised myself to stick to a good solid pace... and I went for it. I was not as physically demanding as I'd expected - but far more MENTALLY demanding that I could have imagined! Every so often, my mind would just think "No, this is too much... stop after 6 miles..." or: "You can take a break after 4 miles. Just run the next 4 later today..." or "Holy crap - this is hard. It's freezing out here - what the hell are you doing??"

Needless to say, I was able to clear my mind, time and time again (often times thanks to a good song!) and finish the run. I'm very sore today - but yesterday felt AMAZING. I know now that I can accomplish my upcoming 15K (9.3 miles). Prior to yesterday's run - I was scared out of my mind.

Only other thing for me to be concerned about are my ankles. I tend to roll them a lot, especially my left one. Yesterday was no exception - I actually took a misstep on the gravel and twisted it hard. Had to stop running for a sec and walk it off. Ended up being able to continue (obviously) but the muscles just above that ankle bone are VERY sore today. Anyone ever dealt with this? Think I could run with like a pre-made ace bandage support or something? I'll just keep working on keeping my stride strong and steady, too. Hopefully, this won't keep happening.

And in other news - I have a race tomorrow! 8000 meters - or about 4.9 miles. Should be fun and fairly easy. Maybe it's not the smartest idea running when sore - but... no pain, no gain! (insert manly grunt here)

Until next posting...

Your longer-running, never-tiring runner,
Kelly

A different type of milestone...

It happened. I got my first ever blister from running!

Normally, this would be highly upsetting. It definitely makes things a little tricky... I mean, I had to buy some moleskin, I'm going to have to soak my feet tonight, and go easy on my cross training tomorrow. But... I got my first ever blister from RUNNING!!!

Strange as it may sound, I'm actually quite proud of the fact that I'm running enough now to even develop a blister. :) I guess it's sort of like how prima ballerinas tear their feet up in pointe shoes... only I'm in sneakers. Ha!

Of course, I will obviously want to remedy this problem. Any blisters past the first one are just annoyances. But for now, I will bask in the glory of my first running blister. :)

And if anyone out there has recommendations for running shoes for over-pronators, or solutions for preventing and/or treating blisters in general... they are definitely welcome. (See, I'm proud of the blister... but it's still a bit painful!)

Thanks!

Your runner-with-a-victorious-pustule,
Kelly

Can you all see the "Log Your Run" chart?

Just wondering, as I only ever see this blog from my own computer...

Can you all see the chart on the right side that says "LogYourRun" and should have entries showing how much I ran this week? Let me know. If you can't see it... I'll probably just delete it. The whole point it to keep me accountable! :)

Thanks!

Your technologically challenged runner,
Kelly