Saturday, February 27, 2010

Setting another personal distance record

Well today I accomplished another record! I ran 26.5kms from the beach near my house, to my mums house across the city.

Last night, I finally told my husband what I was planning and I don't think he was happy about it. Through gritted teeth he said "I'm coming with you".He didn't mean running though. He wanted to follow behind me on his bike (He's a cyclist)

Now that was a bonus for me because I was stressed about how I was going to carry water for this run and he was going to be my solution to that problem!

I told him I wanted to start early as it was going to be warm today, and I wanted to leave before the sun came up. I didn't know he wanted to be with me every inch of the way though and when I went to leave, just as he was starting to have breakfast, he got angry and told me to wait.
Anyone who knows me knows I don't do go with a change of plans when I have something set in my head! So I started to get anxious... it's getting warmer... the sun's up now... is he almost finished??

Finally at 7am I said "how much longer" and again through gritted teeth he said "do what you want" So.... I drove to the beach (and that's another story as I'd wanted to leave from home but it was going to suit hubby better if I left from the beach but I figured more kms under my belt...) and started my journey.

It felt pretty good at the start even though I was against the wind. I took it easy and knew I was going slower than normal.

I was about six kilometres in when hubby called to say he was on his way and to find out exactly where I was. I had told him that I'd need to concentrate and I didn't want him to disturb me while running (lol... look I know how I am!) so he stayed back, going at 11kms an hour about 10 metres behind me.

When I got to the 10kms mark I had an slight uphill section and it almost killed me!! I was against the wind and going slightly uphill. I had to call hubby up to tell him I didn't think I was going to make it. I was trying to hint that I needed encouragement but I guess he was still mad with me because he didn't say anything... so then I said "tell me it doesn't matter how slow I'm going, just keep taking it easy and you'll get there... just one foot in front of the other"
He didn't say that but I'd voiced it out loud and after taking a drink, I felt a little better and just plodded on.

Besides, if I'd stopped there I would have HATED myself and I was so far from the car AND my mums house.

So I continued on and from about the 13kms mark it felt pretty good.

Hubby says I'm a "shuffler" but he also said it looked like I could keep running for another 12 hours like that.I did feel pretty good and man was I happy when I finally got there!!!
TWENTY SIX POINT FIVE KILOMETRES!!!!

My longest run yet! I did it in about two and half hours.
When I get home I'll load up the garmin statistics and get the actual time but it was about that. Not a fantastic time, but that wasn't my goal. I just wanted to finish.So I'm super pleased with that!!

And though it's only a few hours after my run I feel pretty good with barely any soreness!! Maybe that's still to come

Pretty pleased with it all. I'm almost a "real" runner :)

Total Kilometres for February so far..
252.5 kilometers

3 comments:

  1. Wow! I am sooooo impressed. I couldn't manage it, even if I was being chased by a chainsaw wielding psychopath.

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  2. Nice going Margot- that is fantastic. You said you were relatively new to running, so I guess we should cut your hubby some slack for not realising how vital it is to get out before the sun comes up- on a bike it really doesnt matter that much- but for us runners those minutes are precious. Glad you could encourage yourself when he couldnt find the right words! Sara

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  3. You're definitely a real runner.

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