Week Sixteen: 20 Miles!!! -- CarenClark.com Message Board

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Date Posted: 11:58:27 08/19/02 Mon
Author: Caren
Subject:

Week Sixteen: 20 Miles!!!

Wahoo!!!! Major landmark run this week! TWENTY, count 'em, TWENTY miles! And what a fantastic run it was! Oh, don't get me wrong, it was hard work and it hurt, but it was a very good, satisfying run overall, especially in comparison to the 18-miler, which was really brutal.

Ok, so this week our Georgetown site was cancelled due to lack of shade. Instead, I ran at Waterside, which is the National Crescent Trail, around the Mall and on part of my usual trail. The change of scenery was terrific. There was a lot more to look at and more people to watch. Honestly, I liked this route much more than the boring old towpath.

Unfortunately, it was set to be another humid day in the 90s, so all the pace groups were slowed down. And because I was running at a different site, there were people who ran my old pace there. I decided to run at that pace again, rather than the faster pace I've been doing the last few weeks. My goal was to finish, and finish strong, rather than finish by dragging myself the last few miles.

There's not much to say about the run itself. Because of our slower pace, my quad/hip strain didn't get a chance to start hurting (Hallelujah!). My shin splints are gone. Everything was in fine working order this week. Ahh, what a big difference that makes. It was more a matter of dealing with the heat and natural exhaustion than putting up with any nagging injuries.

The heat was the absolute worst part of all of this. It's very frustrating, because even though I drank a ton of water last week and hydrated plenty before and during the run, I did find myself getting dehydrated toward the end of the run. I guess your body reaches a point where it just can't keep up with the heat. I realized that I must have been way too dehydrated during the 18-miler. That's probably why I had a fever afterwards and why the run was so crappy.

So the last 2 or 3 miles were tough for this run, but I maintained my pace throughout and ran to the finish. I had enough left in me to go another mile or two. It also helped that our coach had popsicles for us when we were done. :)

I did experience two "firsts" for this run. First, I had a small blister, which I didn't even feel when I was running. I was surprised, because I've been lucky enough not to have any blisters yet. Not sure if it was due to the length of the run or the fact that I was wearing a new pair of socks for the first time.

Second, my big toenails felt sooooo sore, like they were about to fall off. No blood blisters, though. From what I hear, "black toenails" are fairly common for distance runners. Hopefully I can make it through the next few long runs without getting those.

Overall, I felt great after this run, and am still on a high that I did 20 miles with no problems. I hope the long September runs go this well. Only two long training runs left: a 23-mile and a 26-mile. October 27th is getting close!

I bought a new pair of shoes this week. (Same brand and style.) Can't wait to break them in so I can wear them for the 23-mile run.

I've saved the best news for last: I'm excited to announce that I have reached my fundraising goal of $1,700!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you again to everyone who has donated!! While $1,700 was the minimum I had to raise, my personal goal is to raise $2,000, so please keep those donations coming! It's for such a great cause and every little bit helps. :)

Caren

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