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Even More LSD

Miles run: 10.03
Time: 1:39:27
Pace: 9:55
HR: 156/176
Temp: 11° and sunny, feels like -9°
Perceived effort: 7
On the side of the road: a full size box spring mattress
On the iPod: PodRun by DJ Steveboy

Ok. That’s it. I’m done now. Time for rest.

Saturday it seemed like a pretty interesting idea to do three 10 mile runs in a row. I didn’t really think I’d do it. But they happened. And today’s run was even 8 seconds faster than yesterday’s. Even though today definitely felt like the slowest day. Thirty miles in three days. That’s farther than a marathon’s 26.2 miles. Feels great to get this under my belt.

Today was the coldest by far. Yesterday seemed downright balmy. My face, and ears were very cold. I put bandaids on the nipples before the run, but they must have come undone since they started shooting their lightning bolts of pain again. It’s a bit coincidental that I didn’t have any issues of this type until this weekend after I saw the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother and that was part of the storyline.

Today’s side-of-the-road spotting was a mattress. I cheap looking, light looking full-size mattress that I can only assume flew out of the back of some Clampett’s truck. That banana peel from two days ago is still there, though barely recognizable in its brown leathery disintegrating state. The beer cans are still there. The baseball cap that I picked up out of the middle of the road and perched on a signpost had blown off the post into the snowbank.

None of the muscle aches of yesterday afflicted me today. I only really have some sort of tendon pain in the left foot. When I bend the big toe, it flares up and I just about see stars. I’m sure it’s just temporary. And if that’s the worst I’ve got after 30 miles, then, that’s fine by me.

No bonus miles today since I actually planned on the full 10. But the verdict is still out on yesterday’s b-miles…

MLSD

MORE. Long. Slow. Distance.

Miles run: 10.03
Time: 1:39:35
Pace: 9:55
HR: 160/173
Temp: 28 and windy
Perceived effort: 6
On the iPod: Scorpio by Grandmaster Flash

I planned on running 4 miles, but ended up with my second 10 this weekend. Well, in the back of my mind I really wanted another 10, but set out with a more modest goal unsure of how I might feel after yesterday’s big miles. Does this mean I don’t have any bonus miles? What do you think?

As I started off I could hear birds chirping. See a brilliant blue sky. And smell… well… nothing since the air was crisp and cold. My starting steps felt much lighter than yesterday’s start. I had a feeling this was going to be less difficult than yesterday. Today was a minute and 51 seconds slower than yesterday, but also a lower HR avg and max. It felt faster, but wasn’t. It felt easier, and was. My legs felt looser and more limber. Still sore in the sartorius and/or illiopsoas (I think it’s these muscles). It’s the ones on the front of the leg right up top where the leg meets the pelvis.

At one point I noticed a bag caught on the wind bouncing down the ditch towards me. It was a FedEx bag. It looked like it had a purpose. Apparently even discarded FedEx bags feel the need to keep moving. I gotta hand it to that company for instilling such a strong work ethic in even their inanimate products. Wherever it was going, I’m sure it’ll get there by 10am tomorrow.

Why Scorpio by Grandmaster Flash? Grandmaster Flash is some serious old school rap. They’re one of the firsts. I remember discovering them (they were old when I discovered them, too, so shutty on my age…) with my running buddy in high school, Steve. We loved the two songs Scorpio and The Message. On one or two occasions, Steve rode his bike next to me while I ran 4 or 5 miles. He’d bring a small boombox with a GMF tape and we’d listen to it. Not quite the convenience of an iPod, but it worked. Those two songs will always remind me of the summer of… uh, a little while ago in high school.

LSD

Long. Slow. Distance.

Miles run: 10.07
Time: 1:37:44
Pace: 9:42
Calories: 1234 (interesting number)
HR: 163/180
Perceived effort: 8.5
Temp: 17°
On the iPod: Lose Yourself by Eminem
Tough run. After three days off the road. Thank you Mother Nature for the snowstorm and breaking my momentum. Not.

First half mile was agony. I felt leaden. Seriously thought of stopping, calling it a day. I was riddled with self-doubt, cold, lethargic limbs and low energy. I don’t know what kept me going, maybe the thought that it would get better, that I couldn’t pass up this gloriously beautiful and sunny day, that I want to get my momentum back, that I don’t want a goal of a marathon this year to slip through my fingers.

I pressed on with only the sun to cheer me. The wind was a little irritating, cutting into my face. My neck gaiter (thank you for this gift, John) seemed like it was two sizes too big. Maybe I’ve lost neck weight too. Though I that seems ludicrous–more likely the last wash/dry it went though had something to do with it. I’ll have to pin it tighter next time. My neck, man… I think John got me the gaitor just to shut me up about how my neck controls my whole body’s comfort level. It’s cold, I’m cold. It’s warm, I’m fine.

Mile 3 to 4, I felt great. Felt like the five mile goal would be cake. I was happy at this point for pressing on.

Mile 4 to 5, kinda sucky. That mile has three rollers on it. For you non-cyclists out there, rollers are minor hills and valleys that, while they’re not difficult at all, provide enough unbalance to mess with your pace and undermine your rhythm. And when running or cycling long distance, rhythm is everything. I hate to stop for any reason.

Speaking of stopping… I had to stop TWICE for my stupid loose shoelaces. Second time, I finally tucked them under the lower laces to fix the problem. Grrr.

Past mile 5 now. Still feeling really good. Decided to go for double the distance and get some really big bonus miles. Again, the day is gorgeous… and can’t resist the double-digit mileage. Hit mile 7 and decided I should have eaten breakfast. A cup of crappy tea didn’t do the trick (later figured out my tea was bad and chucked it. Cracked the cellophane on a new box and it was much better).

Miles 7 to 10 were très, très tough. But they have to be done. It would be worth it.

Noticed three empty beer cans and one banana peel on the road. I hate seeing beer cans. Makes me wonder what the story is behind them. Did they just fly out of the back of a pickup that was on it’s way to make a big return? Or did they fly out of the window of a heavy drinker’s car? I don’t want to know. The banana peel? BJ and his Bear probably stopped by the truck stop down the street from my house and threw it out of his window.

And so I end the day with FIVE bonus miles. I rock. Well, I can say that now for overcoming crippling thoughts of quitting in the first mile. But before I get too generous with the self-praise, let’s see what tomorrow brings. I suspect more of the same thoughts AND physical weariness on top of them.

Why Lose Yourself? It’s been languishing on my iPod for several weeks now but never entered into the random rotation. Today is the first time I think I heard it. I’m not really an Eminem fan, but his songs, I’ll admit, are annoyingly catchy. This one in particular seemed iPod worthy. True enough, it really picked me up during a rough patch of the run early on.