I started my day with a sketchy 6 hours of sleep; meaning the off and on few I got as my sick son coughed all night long. Moms don't sleep while their sleeping children cough.
I was up this morning with my running belt, extra water, cliff bars and winter running gear set to go. It was 52 degrees on this Florida November morning; coldest morning yet this winter. So naturally I had layers on and even went back inside at the last second before driving off to get a scarf, lest my neck be too chilled on my run.
Well, my first pointer to this being a hard run happened when I parked where I usually do by the trail in the park with a need already to use the restroom. I had really hydrated up the night before and in the morning, so I needed "to go" right from the start. As I got my water belt on, my iPhone strap on and my Gymboss Interval watch on I made my way to the bathrooms right at the parking lot by the trail - and Viola! They were closed for repairs!!! Let it be widely known that when a 45 year old woman who's had two children and several bottles of water needs to pee and then she is denied access to do so - ITS ON!!!! I had to go all the more and NOW!
I had to walk briskly across the parking lot over several little turn-in roads to another bathroom facing the opposite direction away from the trail. I was freezing and did my business as fast as possible all the while wondering what "MAN" made the decision to close those bathrooms!
I swung around the lot back to the trail feeling much more positive and started my Gymboss Interval watch and started running. It wasn't even a 1/4 of mile in that a horrible thought hit me...I have to go again! My water belt was putting just the right amount of pressure on my bladder that I obviously too hurriedly did not empty properly. But by this point I was too far in the path and my Interval timer was going I really couldn't go back so I kept running. Well take a guess- the next two miles were hard.
My screaming bladder became secondary as I began to sweat with my scarf choking my neck and the two layers of jackets constricting me. I spent a 1/2 mile trying to detach myself from my outer clothes while running. This is no easy feat with an IPhone band high with earphone wires on one arm, an Interval timer around the wrist and a water belt all on the OUTSIDE of these clothes I'm trying to shed. I finally stopped running to do this and had to run carrying them until the swing around at the end of the two miles to the parking lot.
That's when I remembered the bathrooms were closed! I had to then run to the far bathrooms with my load of clothes and finish that out. Then I ran back to the parking lot to put away my jacket in my car. That's when it hit me that I had been doing this with my Interval watch going and had no idea what that distance amounted to nor to how much time it took. Now my timing and distance was compromised! Not happy!
I made a flash decision to abandon my Run/Walk method and run like the wind to make up time...whatever that was. I did this for two miles. When I remembered I hadn't eaten anything. I was about to reach into my water belt for the miniature Cliff bar (brownie flavored) when I remembered the large Macadamia White Chocolate one I had in the car. At this point I was flustered and felt I needed some refreshing and I stopped and got it, taking two bites, leaving it and going on.
As I went back to my Run/Walk method with the remnants of the Macadamia White Chocolate melting in my mouth all I could think of was the rest of that bar on the front seat of my car and that I wanted it. Well Hallelujah! Finally some good motivation. I hit a stride and got moving around the trail to get the rest of it. After I finished the bar I came to myself and had a good rest of a run. The rest is history.
I will say however, having "booked it" those two miles to make up time was not the smartest strategy for doing a longer distance today. On my twelfth mile I was running like the 80 year old man I see sometimes on the trial shuffling along and my thighs and glutes were as hard as a rock. Mile 12 was a booger.
Mile twelve is done and it needs to be redone the right way. My time once I figured out my Intervals and the added 24 minutes on the stopwatch on my phone calculated my run at 144 minutes. Now I say I did 12 but the run to those bathrooms were at least 1/4 mile...who knows. So- next week it's back for a redo of 12!
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