10 Miles Strong

I had been mentally preparing myself for my 10 mile run.  I felt ready, in fact, I KNEW I was ready.  After the previous week's 8 miles, I felt confident that I could do it.  Friday night, I stayed out late (at a Masquerade Ball!) didn't eat well and even had a little wine.  I know what you're thinking...it was the PERFECT set up for a Saturday morning 10 mile run!  So on just a few hours sleep, a little bit of a sour belly and a hearty breakfast, I met my friend Heather at 8:45am in Annapolis and off we went!

We started at her home and decided to run towards our normal route and then turn around at the 5 mile mark (which ended up being at exactly the middle point of the Navy bridge; oh how I loathe that bridge!)  I felt pretty strong throughout the run; even when my legs started to feel tired around mile 7, I told myself that my mind will give up before my body does and I just need to push.  The weather is warming up here and I was thankful that I had thought to bring a bottle of water.  Running while holding a water bottle is not ideal, but I haven't found the right belt yet.  I'll keep looking and definitely blog about whatever product I find works best. 

Mile 9 was the longest mile ever.  We ran uphill on Main St. through Annapolis.  Lovely.  Then ran down West Street; I'll admit that it is not my favorite thing to dodge pedestrians, shop keepers, dogs, vendors and the like.  Not to mention that downtown Annapolis the streets and sidewalks are made of brick and the sidewalks aren't even in width nor are they very level.  At about 9.8 miles, Heather takes off into a sprint.  I'm not sure if she did it subconsciously because she saw the end, or if she was trying to push me just a little bit, but I pushed and I did my best to keep up and when we were finally able to click the "end" button on the garmin...well, I felt sick!  I felt sick, and thrilled, excited, elated, cold, faint, happy and sick.  LOL!  I stood in Heather's kitchen, leaving a puddle of sweat on her floor as I gulped down about 40oz of cold water.  As my body temperature came back down, the realization that I had just finished 10 miles in 105 minutes hit me and I was just PROUD. 

Ten miles has been a huge milestone for me.  I knew that once I hit ten, that I was going to be a serious runner.  I knew that I could push myself.  I knew that "my impossible" was possible.  I know that sounds silly, lots of people run, but just thinking of myself as a runner is still so foreign to me. 

I drove home to my family bursting with pride and happiness.  I felt so strong.  I felt so relieved and so confident in myself; knowing that there is nothing I cannot do if I put my mind to it!

So now, here I am on Sunday...Ibuprofen is my (and my knees') best friend and I've spent most of the day resting (recovering) and I'm still smiling ear to ear.  I'm excited for this week, I'm ready to tackle my challenges and I'm ready to push my limits.  I'm ten miles strong and getting stronger every day!