After a miserable week of missed runs due to illness, my long run on Sunday was never a matter of would I complete it, but rather, a matter of how much it would hurt.
I would not only do the Sanatorium Loop in Cambridge, but I would run from Keegan (my coach) and Tracy's house - so an extra approx 8-9km. In total around 37km of the ruthless hills, & a few other occurrences....
After a big bowl of Wheetbix, and saying goodbye to Keegan & Ava (who was having her own bowl of Wheetbix for brekky), I set off at 6:30am in the dark. As I ran through the suburbs of Cambridge my run nearly ended in the first ten minutes with a face plant. An uneven footpath saw me fly in the air. Fortunately, my left foot was quick to steady myself - face plant avoided, now I'm awake. And so it starts...
Within the first hour I come to the worst part of the run, the 3-4km of steep, windy, uphill road. The last time I did this run a fortnight prior, I'd had to walk a big chunk of this part. I was determined to run the whole thing today and right now, I have no idea how I did it. But wow, after it was done I felt good & soon forgot that pain! And on to the next.
I ran on and while enjoying the easier hills up and down, a bug flew in between my sunglasses and eye (the sun had just risen at this point). Trying to get rid of it, I whacked my glasses and they snapped. Uh oh. Hours of running with sunshine, blue sky, and no sunglasses? A few months ago it would have been my worst nightmare - today it wouldn't stop me.
Two hours had gone, I was feeling good. Two mini Moro Bars eaten, & lots of water consumed. Now my bladder was full & I needed to find a bush. Currently, we have been declared a drought zone with no rain in sight. Bushes or long grass were not easy to find. Once twenty minutes had passed with no luck, I realised I hadn't seen any cars and only animals for a long time. So, with this in mind, I found a bush that covered me from one side, but not the other. You know where this is going right?
Within seconds a car came over the hill (Of course!). I had no time to cover myself and simply grabbed flattened grass up to try and cover myself - I was like a possum in the middle of the road, caught by a car. Mortified.
Oh and it gets better. Firstly, not only did I now not have the urge to go, but I noticed the bush I was in was a prickly one! I had prickles throughout my fingers but thankfully none in any sensitive places (lets look on the bright side!). The prickles were actually a good distraction during the run, by the end I didn't have any left. Could've been worse eh? I set off again now, and actually properly giggling to myself. And more so when a few minutes later a group of three cyclists rode past saying good morning. Yup, definitely could've been worse!
Now I was well into my run, and three mini Moro bars down, I enjoyed a few kms of peace with no disturbances. Until I met the bull.
The road I was running on was skinny and could only fit one car with a sharp drop to one side and then a bank on the other. The escapee bull was next to the bank munching away on some grass. I was charged by a bull and had to jump a fence when I was younger, so I do have a small fear of bulls. Knowing I couldn't let him stop me I grabbed one of my small water bottles and opened its top. To me at this point, I was armed and ready. As I got closer and went to pass him (me as close as possible to the cliff side) he turned from his grass and looked at me. Ahhhhhh..... freaking on the inside I didn't let it show, and kept running, holding out my water bottle as if he might think it was a samurai sword. He watched me. I kept running. He chomped on his grass a little more, than turned away, no longer interested. And that was that. Big drama for this poor escapee bull.
So yes, I am still running....
When I reached the end of the loop and had just the 30 minute run on flat suburb roads, you'd think it would be easy. I actually cannot describe how much I hurt at this point. Every body part had been competing for the pain limelight during my run, but at this point I hurt everywhere. Mentally I was drained. After hours of running this 30 minutes felt like days, and it took all my strength to hold in tears as I kept going. As I ran down Tracy and Keegan's road I let out the tears. I walked into their house crying, and managed, 'That was really hard.' Then turned to Keegan to ask, 'Why would you let me do that?!' And I can actually say at that point I was mad with him!
I soon felt good and proud but very, very sore. Apparently I looked like an old lady for the rest of the day, hunched over and struggling to walk. After a smoothie I fell asleep on the sofa even with my toddler niece, Ava, running about... Or as Keegan put it on his Facebook status, I'd, 'passed out on the couch'.
When I woke I felt ill from hunger and pigged out - that's the fun part!! Later that afternoon I spent nearly an hour in the Cambridge pools walking up and down the lengths with Ava in tow. Chilling out in Cambridge was the perfect way to end a difficult start to the day.
I ran approximately 37km of hills in 4 hours and 12 minutes. Now the pain is just a memory, and instead I feel only amazed and proud. I must be nuts!!!!
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