Break It Down

So, last week I ran 17 miles on the long run, and this week I ran 18.  The way I've been making this work is that I meet my Trail Sisters Jen and Renee and Carrie for a trail run, but I show up an hour earlier, and I put in 4-5 miles on the Towpath. I feel like this gets me properly tired for all those hills and steps. So far it seems to be working.

Jen, me, Renee. Bundled up and happy to be done.

Peeps, when increasing your mileage, my one piece of advice is this: Choose your running partners wisely. I am a slow trail runner, so 14 miles on the trails is going to take me about 31/2 hours or so, depending on the conditions (the conditions lately have NOT been good). This means that there is a LOT of talking and not talking during that time. Jen, Renee, and I are English teachers, so we have a lot to discuss, and when we run out of things to say about literature, pedagogy, or just classroom pet peeves, we can always complain about our husbands. Then there comes a point where you just want the run to be DONE, and you start to do whatever it takes in your mind to make that happen. I am lucky that we have been able to share so many miles without them killing me and hiding my body in a fallen log.

Speaking of fallen logs. . .

Last Sunday we decided to run even though the weather forecast called for very strong wind gusts, up to 50 mph. We started together at 8:30 (I had put in 5 miles before that), and it was very pleasant, warm with little wind. We went out about an hour and a half, and everything was fine, so fine that our hubris got the best of us, and we scoffed at the forecast.  Big mistake. When we turned around, the wind started kicking up, and sometimes we had tiny pellets of sleet/hail. Then the trees started creaking and we heard cracking all around us.

I don't know about you, but I have heard stories about trees and branches falling on people, and I've always thought, "Seriously, I can outrun a falling tree. What is wrong with people?" What I've learned is that when the trees are cracking all around you, and the wind is whipping them everywhere, that sound echoes, and you don't know where it's coming from.  There were plenty of times on that trail that I wasn't sure if a tree or branch was going to hit us or not. We saw one large tree take down another, and at one point on an open part of the path a wind gust blew me over until I crouched down to make a wider base.  On the way back, we saw this, and it scared the bejesus out of me:

This all happened in the second part of the run. Photo credit: Renee Milhalyov

At least five big trees fell directly on the path we had run on the way out. We had to climb over some of them.  They were all heavy. We could have been pinned under any of those trees.

Don't laugh at the weather gods in Ohio, Peeps.

So, I am alive for now, and I am still building towards my 20 miler, which I think I'll run on St. Patrick's Day.  I am still on the wait list for Forget the PR, but I think it won't be long before I get an email saying I'm running it for realz.

If I survive this race, I swear I will take up some speedwork and PR the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.  Wanna join me? Register for any Cleveland Marathon race (1 mile Fun Run, 5K, 8K, 10K, Half Marathon, Full Marathon, Series) using my code, SI2019, and receive 10% off.  Let's do this together!

However strong the wind blows in your woods, I hope you run happy, Peeps!

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