I am in the double digits!!! Oh my god, I accomplished something I have never done before. And it wasn't just any 10 mile run...trail running - full blown Redwood Park trails through the woods, over creeks, up the freakin mountain!!! So I can safely say I kicked my own butt today, and reached 10 miles, and took my first ice bath...we'll get to that late, eh hem.
I have to just reflect on the run itself, pretty majestic. Actually, the entire run was pretty profound for me as far as experiences go in my lifetime. The scenery was incredible. I seriously felt like I was running through a fairy tale, a magical painting you wish you could escape to. I think it might have made the hills a little easier...eh, maybe not. But it was beautiful to look at! I was running on root knobbed earthy trails winding in and out of HUGE redwoods, some so old they had fallen across creek beds and formed picturesque bridges for little wildlife to scurry across. Shedding of trees softened the path beneath my feet and enormous branches of glowing evergreen fanned out over my head (like 100 feet in the air) and shaded the trails ahead. I listened to chirping birds and rustling squirrels the whole time. At the top of the treacherous 2 mile 'up the side of the mountain hike trail' climb I looked out and saw blue and green overlapping hills reach out accross my perspective and fall into the glistening bay and meet the horizon. It made me smile and feel small (although not so light weight at that point) and perfectly placed in this world at that moment. I was able to spend 2 hours in meditation using only the rhythym of my own breath, my foot steps on the earth and the most beautiful views you can imagine.
Now, let me explain why I was running my long Saturday run alone, in mediation, but definitely alone. I arrived 10 minutes late today. :( This put me about a mile behind everyone else. Normally, Coach Al is busy telling a story, doing the stretches, shout outs, the cheer, and so on. It isn't usally a big deal. And - I am usually early. So, this morning I arrive to see them gone. Only the food/water volunteers around. They told me where the start line was and said GO! So I ran, desperately hoping to catch up with the team, but not wanting to push my pace too hard and burn out. My worst fear about my 10 mile run was coming true - running it alone..jpg)
I had to tell myself to chill out, appreciate my body, and do it right the way I have been trained to so far. Turns out around mile 2 I catch up to the run/walkers as they are walking the hills (not helpful to see everyone around you walking the hill you are convincing yourself is a minor little mound!) and eventually Mama Lisa found me with her cowbell. She ran up a hill next to me and told me I had perfect form. (this is actually a triumph from my run today) So I kept on, passing the walkers and never quite catching up to my runners until I saw them passing me after they had met the 4.5 mile turn around. I finally saw my Chipper Sue and that was exciting - for like 3 seconds until she was gone with her running buddies for the day. I did end up running the whole thing alone. I saw everyone finishing and then running one last mile to round up to 10, so I decided I couldn't be the only single digit girl, so I ran that last extra mile alone too. I finished feeling sore, but totally elated and rather energetic. (Maybe this was due to my tasty GU - yet another first for me today - I had at mile 6 which was sticky and raztastic)
On the way home I stopped at the store and bought myself a cup of extremely desired coffee and 3 bags of ice. Uh-huh. Going home to the ice bath. I ended up pouring out all the ice in the bath tub, running cold water until it was about 5 inches deep, and sitting in it, like a mad-crazy person...I screamed for most of it. My neighbor probably thought I was murdering someone with all the ice breaking and screaming. After all of the craziness, I am positive my body is less swollen, and after the initial red skin and chill bumps, my musles appreciate my sacrifice for sure. I am happy and will most likely spend the rest of the day watching movies on the sofa! Yay for 10 miles, beautiful hilly trails, and ice baths - well, maybe not ice baths.Oh, another perk to today is that I discovered where exactly I will need to start using body glide, oh yay.
I have to just reflect on the run itself, pretty majestic. Actually, the entire run was pretty profound for me as far as experiences go in my lifetime. The scenery was incredible. I seriously felt like I was running through a fairy tale, a magical painting you wish you could escape to. I think it might have made the hills a little easier...eh, maybe not. But it was beautiful to look at! I was running on root knobbed earthy trails winding in and out of HUGE redwoods, some so old they had fallen across creek beds and formed picturesque bridges for little wildlife to scurry across. Shedding of trees softened the path beneath my feet and enormous branches of glowing evergreen fanned out over my head (like 100 feet in the air) and shaded the trails ahead. I listened to chirping birds and rustling squirrels the whole time. At the top of the treacherous 2 mile 'up the side of the mountain hike trail' climb I looked out and saw blue and green overlapping hills reach out accross my perspective and fall into the glistening bay and meet the horizon. It made me smile and feel small (although not so light weight at that point) and perfectly placed in this world at that moment. I was able to spend 2 hours in meditation using only the rhythym of my own breath, my foot steps on the earth and the most beautiful views you can imagine.
Now, let me explain why I was running my long Saturday run alone, in mediation, but definitely alone. I arrived 10 minutes late today. :( This put me about a mile behind everyone else. Normally, Coach Al is busy telling a story, doing the stretches, shout outs, the cheer, and so on. It isn't usally a big deal. And - I am usually early. So, this morning I arrive to see them gone. Only the food/water volunteers around. They told me where the start line was and said GO! So I ran, desperately hoping to catch up with the team, but not wanting to push my pace too hard and burn out. My worst fear about my 10 mile run was coming true - running it alone.
.jpg)
I had to tell myself to chill out, appreciate my body, and do it right the way I have been trained to so far. Turns out around mile 2 I catch up to the run/walkers as they are walking the hills (not helpful to see everyone around you walking the hill you are convincing yourself is a minor little mound!) and eventually Mama Lisa found me with her cowbell. She ran up a hill next to me and told me I had perfect form. (this is actually a triumph from my run today) So I kept on, passing the walkers and never quite catching up to my runners until I saw them passing me after they had met the 4.5 mile turn around. I finally saw my Chipper Sue and that was exciting - for like 3 seconds until she was gone with her running buddies for the day. I did end up running the whole thing alone. I saw everyone finishing and then running one last mile to round up to 10, so I decided I couldn't be the only single digit girl, so I ran that last extra mile alone too. I finished feeling sore, but totally elated and rather energetic. (Maybe this was due to my tasty GU - yet another first for me today - I had at mile 6 which was sticky and raztastic)On the way home I stopped at the store and bought myself a cup of extremely desired coffee and 3 bags of ice. Uh-huh. Going home to the ice bath. I ended up pouring out all the ice in the bath tub, running cold water until it was about 5 inches deep, and sitting in it, like a mad-crazy person...I screamed for most of it. My neighbor probably thought I was murdering someone with all the ice breaking and screaming. After all of the craziness, I am positive my body is less swollen, and after the initial red skin and chill bumps, my musles appreciate my sacrifice for sure. I am happy and will most likely spend the rest of the day watching movies on the sofa! Yay for 10 miles, beautiful hilly trails, and ice baths - well, maybe not ice baths.Oh, another perk to today is that I discovered where exactly I will need to start using body glide, oh yay.
1 comment:
i love, just love your time in the ice bath. My guess is you have prescribe those to your clients at times. I usually leave my socks on somehow it keeps me warmer...
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