Pi! Pie! P.I.!

It was definitely a Pi (pie? P.I.?) kind of week. We had some fierce debates about pizza pie this week at the Liebowitz household.

So we had pizza pie Tuesday night (lazy) and Wednesday night (tradition).

I had a 21 miler on Tuesday that was tough, but good. I posted this in Loopville so sorry for the repeat if you heard the story. I was headed to the trail head on Tuesday morning and went to plant a water bottle just off the walkway to refill my hydration belt. I started to run and another runner caught me around the 0.5 mile mark. We ran stride by stride for a bit and then she broke ahead. However, she was running about the same pace I wanted to be at and so I stayed a few steps behind. Just past 2.2 miles, we crossed a minor intersection where a car didn't stop and ended up starting a conversation. It was all about running of course. We ran until mile 5.25 where I turned around and she kept going. She was going out and back for 13.5 miles and I was going for 21 (twice to 5.25). We waved when our paths crossed again. When I finished (21 miles//7:50 pace), I went to go collect my now empty water bottle before heading back to the car and found a note bandaged to the bottle.

Has nothing to do with Pi and everything to do with the awesomeness of the running community.

I ran 3 miles of downhill on the 'mill on Wednesday while the pizza Pie sat in the oven until I finished. Nothing like delicious food to motivate me to push the pace. 8:00, 7:41, 7:30 at a 3% and
that Pie was mine!

On Thursday, the P.I. developed. That is, poison ivy. It started oozing out of my right wrist during work and got extra gross during the 5.2 miles I ran on Wednesday night. All my backbreaking gardening Monday had given me an extra gift--weeping blisters!

Friday, I decided to take a rest day. I had small plans for Pi day and more ambitious plans for Sunday.

In actuality, I drank a bit a of wine and a lot of beer and woke up feeling like a broken rock star Saturday morning. Pi run would have to be delayed. But hey, I found that Nuun is a great hangover remedy!

I had a busy day at work and questioned my own sanity when donning my running clothes at 7pm with an 18-miler in my head for Sunday.

But I need to get that 3.14 miles in. It was 3.14.15 after all. 

I put on my 9 things (2 shoes, 2 socks, 1 pair of shorts, 1 sports bra, 1 shirt, 1 Garmin, 1 iPod) and went for my Pi run in the midst of training for 26.2 miles. It was a good thing that Pi happened to be the equivalent of about 5 kilometers or 3 miles as I was not really feeling like I could muster much more than 5 miles without hurting my weekly ambitions. I was aiming for 8 minute miles, but honestly was happy to just slog through the run at any ol' pace.

There were 9 cars in the parking lot when I begin, but once I finished my run (and listened to 7 songs), there were no longer 9 cars in the parking lot. Just 3. 

And I was done. Only 15 digits of Pi I could muster in my run. 3.141592653589793

Today, I was truly kind of expecting the worst. I was up against the biggest mileage week I can remember and I felt like poo last night. I ate a bagel, drank some coffee, and resigned myself to a long, slow run. 

The first few miles were the worst. I wanted to be back under the covers.

But then I loosened up and my mind cleared. I let myself just try to run at whatever pace felt comfortable, no matter the speed. And hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! We went from 30's 10 days ago to 75 degrees today. I forgot how much I need to consume in order to stay strong through the end. I stopped 3 times for water and 1 traffic light, but ended with 18 at a 7:50 pace!

3 more hard weeks left until the taper begins! I never thought I would be in the realm of a 50 mile week or trending towards a 200 mile month. Heck, that sounded insane a few months ago. But, I am slowly believing the truth that I am stronger than I think. Each new milestone gives me the strength to tackle the next. And I am kind in love with the proud exhaustion that I feel when walking towards my car lately.