Awesomely Awful

Last I wrote, I was ferociously exhausted by a mountain run. Tired and a bit sore, but thrilled to spend half the day playing in the woods.

Then the DOMS set in. I hadn't hurt this bad since my last hard effort marathon in December. My Maniac-qualifying hilly Atlanta marathon paled in comparison.

The good news was that I hadn't injured myself nor had I been mistaken for a bear snack. The bad news was that stairs hurt, squatting hurt, and even walking hurt.

So smart runners give themselves a few days off--especially because there is no training schedule yet! Dumb runners go running again.

It was just 3 miles though...

The first 100 feet had me questioning my own sanity. Why oh why am I out here??! But then my quads loosened up a little bit and it actually felt better than walking around my store all day. So I stuck to the bare-minimum-of-getting-my-running-clothes-sweaty: 3 miles.

Unfortunately, the looseness didn't stay and I still felt stiff and sore Wednesday. Luxy was all like, just come lay over here with me mom:

I consoled myself with wine and sunsets:

Thursday morning, I could feel the stiffness abating. Oh, it was still there, but I didn't need the handrails to pee at least. Being on my feet all day might have helped loosen me up or contributed to my tiredness. Runner logic is that I can attribute my 8-hours-on-my-feet job to both hurting or helping when necessary.

I walk out to my car around 7:30pm and see ominous clouds in the sky. Eh, looks like a pop-up shower.

I drive for a few minutes and it begins to sprinkle.

I get to the trail head at the Greenway and it's inching closer to raining. Whatever. I'm doing this.

I click Penelope on, pop in my ear buds, and head off into the woods. Quads are still burning, but my gait is feeling natural enough so I figure I just need to warm up.

Then the sky opens up.

And I'm getting further away from my car and getting wetter. The tree cover helps a bit, but by mile 2, I'm drenched. My shoes are squirting water everywhere and I hear thunder booming over the LMFAO blasting in my ears. The angel and devil are quarreling fiercely on other shoulder. Burning quads in a thunderstorm?? But, but, but I feel so strong for being out here!

I took at out ear buds at about mile 3 and listened to the gushing creek and roaring thunder as I headed back to my car.  I ran right down the middle of the Greenway sopping wet with a smile on my face like a crazy person. Only another runner can understand how awesomely awful it was.

By the time I got back to my car, it had pretty much lightened back up to a sprinkle. Great timing QC...

I took a warm shower, had Adam feed me, and settled on the sofa:

This morning, I slept in like I usually do on a day off. And then cursed myself because it was only getting warmer out. With a paltry 8 miles on the board for my M-Sun running calendar, I was feeling kind of like a slacker. So I stuffed a gel in my hydration belt and had my head telling me no more than 10 and my heart telling me no more than 16.

It was hot (re: 83* with a Real Feel of 92*) and I was feeling lead-legged. But I tried not to care too much about my pace and actually got really lost in my thoughts for about a mile. It was frightening--QC's brain is a strange, strange place.

I ran 6.75 miles straight before I hit the turnaround and made a pit stop. Then I stopped once at the stoplight coming back and once to refill my water bottles at mile 11.5. I stayed about a tenth of a mile behind a guy for the last 2 miles who unknowingly paced me.

13.5 at GMPish in the 80's after a heckuva week of DOMS? I try not to think about it too much. Instead, I drink a Pro Muscle Milk right outside the Citgo station and head for the ice bath with leftover lasagna:

So I guess I start official marathon training this upcoming week. I was looking at Pfitzinger's 12/55, but decided that it was a bit too much for me since Jackson Hole isn't a goal race and I typically only reach into the upper 30s in mileage. So I went with a modified plan of what I did for Shamrock and will try to add a little extra mileage to prep me for fall if possible. I obviously want to race well in JH, but with HTC the week before and traveling through Yellowstone in between is likely not going to have me feeling my freshest.

Summer running in Georgia is not for the girl who likes sleeping in so I'm being realistic in my expectations. Those long runs are going to be the ultimate test. 

In other weekly news, I finally hung up the poster that Steve (RunningPlaces) sent me a bajillion months ago along with my framed bibs in the lady cave:

I got a case of the giggles when I read "The Oatmeal" in this month's Runner's World (seriously hilarious, go read it!):

And emailed my boss letting him know asking him to be cleared for a 48 hour jaunt to Poughkeepsie in October for a wedding, a 3-day road trip of epic proportions to Marshall, and a hazy weekend in Rehoboth.  *Crossing my fingers*