Hitting "The Wall" is often talked about when running a marathon. This whole training process, I've been curious what it will feel like when I get to that point or even if I will.
This week's schedule got changed around. A couple of the Superstar's (our self-titled group name) couldn't run for our typical long run on Saturday. The plan was to take Saturday off and do our long run on Sunday instead. Running is starting to become an addiction because when Saturday rolled around, I was fully intending to run that day anyway. Maybe not the full distance, but just go out and run a few miles, as a group we were scheduled for 16 miles. I checked with CT and sure enough she didn't need to be convinced to run, so our plan was to do an easy 10 miles. Do you think we stuck to the plan? You should know us well enough by not that something happens once we get out there and the plan goes out the window. Turns out we started running with another runner from our group and ended up doing 13 miles at a pretty fast pace. Whoops.
At this point I'm going to say we got totally busted! As it turned out one of the Superstar's driving in to work saw us running and we got grief for running without her. I swear, what are the chances that she'd see us running on her way to work, we can't get away with anything!
On longer runs, I'm always a little sore. CT had a very good run after getting over her cold, she finally felt she was back to full strength. I was very happy for her, but for me I really ached after this run, which was strange because it felt different and it wasn't as if I had gone further than I had been. It would be one thing if the conditions were bad, but for once in this Run Camp the route was in good shape and mostly dry pavement.
Sunday's plan was to meet at 1pm and do the exact same route that we did the day before. This time we wouldn't have our normal support that we would with Run Camp, so we strategically left vehicles with water at various points. The Superstar who picked the time to run, will not be named, but this run was about to go down in history. Weather, fine all morning. At about 12:30 the snow starts coming down and I'm not talking a few flakes, but the time we started running I'd estimate there was easily two inches on the ground. The four of us started out and I'd guess between a half mile and a mile the snow turned into a sleet and with the blowing wind, my face was actually getting sore. Luckily, about that time we changed directions and it didn't seem as bad. Three miles out, we reached the first vehicle and got some water. Five miles out, we stopped and used our GU (eating snow to provide water, which felt like we were cannibals using the environment). Six miles out hit the second vehicle. Reached seven miles out and proceeded to have a snowball fight. I'd say this is the point where we started losing our minds, this is also the point where it began raining.
On the way back, what was once a soft cushion with the new snow was now like stepping into a puddle with each step. The snow was still on top, but now it was a very wet slushy underneath. I still felt pretty good, but come about mile nine where we did more GU, my knees did not want to go anymore. Once starting, I was fine, but stopping it felt like they were wet concrete and getting them moving again was nothing but grinding pain. It seemed to take forever to get back to other car. Once there, this was my wall. CT could tell I was in pain. I think she came close to pushing me in the car and driving me back, but I wanted to finish. We started out again, but my one comment was that I literally couldn't stop again, if I did, I'd never get my knees working again and I had to go at my own pace.
I wasn't fast, there was a huge hill that seemed almost impossible, but fought through it to get down to the last mile which was down a fairly busy road. With the end in sight, you'd think the worst was behind me, less than a mile to go, no big deal. Wrong! The next hurdle to overcome was the cars passing and regardless if they tried not to or not, it was a slush, cold water shower with every passing vehicle. The cars weren't bad, but at some point this huge 4x4 truck went by and blasted me with enough force to almost knock me back and that wasn't even the worst part, it felt like I had just been dunked in an ice-water bath! I started laughing, for as difficult as Hitting the Wall sounds, I don't think it could compare to the onslaught of everything I experience during this one run. All I had to do was make it back and I was fairly confident I could handle anything the marathon threw at me.
To date, hardest run ever! Next to losing a limb, or maybe rabid dogs chasing me down, I can't imagine a more difficult run. I'll remember this run FOREVER! I honestly don't think I've felt "Hitting the Wall" yet, but when I do, I'm going to think back to this run and that alone should be enough to push me past it.
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