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Sunday, October 3, 2010

10/03/10 (11.57 mi, 11:13 pace)

Long run day! One of two before the big day...half marathon!!!

I had a 9 mile run scheduled, so off I went first thing Sunday morning.

I took to the trail at about 6:45.

The plan was to park at Peak Performance....run 2.5 miles one way, and then back.....stop at the car to refill the water bottle, shed my headlamp, stretch, then go 2 miles the other direction and back.

I had the trail to myself. All to myself. No one was around. No one.

It was a little spooky to be running through the middle of town, and see no one.

At one point a guy on his bike came up behind me. He was so quiet, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when he announcing "on your left!"

(I gripped my pocket knife a little tighter for a while after that.)

(giggle)

About 2 miles into the run, I noticed something black in the middle of the path. The closer I got, the more I figured it was an animal....cat, raccoon, or skunk.

"please may it not be a skunk, please may it not be a skunk, please may it not be a skunk"

Finally it stood up and turned towards me. Cat!

(whew!)

It went to one side of the path so I could pass...but before I got there, it ran across the path in front of me to the other side.

It's a good thing I consider black cats crossing my pass good luck, or a piano would have fallen from the sky right then and there!!!!

At 2.5 miles into the run, I was scheduled to turn around....but the end of the trail was up about another 1/4 of a mile...so I figured I'd run to the end (my OCD kicking in) and turn around there.

I made it back to the car in relatively good time...except the return trip was .25 miles shorter than the trip out.

What is up with that?????

Oh well.

I stopped at my car, refilled my water bottle, took off the headlamp, blew my nose (stupid allergies)...and headed south to finish the last 4 miles of my run..

30 minutes later.....

"How can I JUST be finishing two miles now???? That's 15 minute miles, and I'm running for crying out loud!!!!!"

I finally turned around and headed back to the car.

Once there, it told me I'd ran a total of 8.75 miles.

Whoa! Hang on just one second!! I've been out here for just over 2 hours.....granted, five minutes were spent at my car at the halfway point...but STILL!!!!

I know I'm a slow runner, but that's ridiculous!!!

On the last 4 miles of my run, I started paying closer attention to my watch. It's one of those that hooks up to the nike sensor that's in my shoe.

I noticed for two minutes it said I wasn't moving.....and for three minutes it said I was going at an 18 minute mile pace.

I was running the entire time.

Something's not right here.

I KNOW, I mean, my body KNOWS that it rain further than 8.75 miles today!!!!!

(sigh)

I got home and logged on to my computer. After mapping the route, I found not only did I run my full 9 miles....I actually ran 11.57!!!!

Nearly 3 miles further than I was supposed to!

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

It was then that I took the watch, and threw it across the room.

The action may have been childish, but it felt good!

(giggle)

So there you have it, my 9 mile run, that turned into almost 12. I accidentally ran 2.5 miles further than I was supposed to.

Accidentally ran....now that's something I never thought I'd hear myself saying! :-)

8 comments:

Heidi said...

I don't know whether to say it was awesome that you ran WAY further than you planned, or awful that your GPS was such a &^%*@#^%&*!!!!! I think I would have thrown it too. Accurate distance is the #1 reason I have my GS (It's a Garmin Forerunner if you're curious). I'd been absolutely pissed if it didn't work properly for me.

Anyhow, you rock for completing that distance. Way to go!!!

Heidi said...

Oh, and I SO would have run the extra 1/4 mile to get to the trail end. I also like to finish my runs on an even mileage or at least a .5 whenever possible.

Nej said...

I'm still pouting about it. :-)

I'd love to save up my pennies for a forerunner. I've been looking at them, but don't know which one to get...so many choices!!

I'm OCD enough that accurate distance is huge...and now I'm not really sure until I get home and map it. Or...map it ahead of time, and remember where I'm supposed to go. :-)

Nej said...

(giggle) I'm the same way! If the schedule says I should run 3...I run 3....I stop the (pos!) watch right when I hit it, even if I have to walk/run a few more blocks home. (hehehe)

Liz said...

Congratulations on the long run. Which day is your 1/2 marathon?

Nej said...

@ Liz - 17th. Not this Sunday, but next. Can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meghan said...

Too funny - last year I "accidentally" ran an extra mile of hills. It makes you feel hardcore afterward, right? :)

Nej said...

@ Meghan - Hardcore to the max! My hubby just laughed and laughed. "You were worried about getting through the half, yet you ran one today!!" :-) :-)