I ran 10 miles yesterday. I am pleased to report that it was my first long run this season where I didn’t experience any gut issues! This is a good thing. Maybe my body is finally adjusting to the mileage.

It was a relatively easy, slow ten miles, totally doable both mentally and physically. I got lost in thought for most of it, which I love and look forward to each and every week. This is why I missed running so much while pregnant, and why I put on 50 pounds. I didn’t have my weekly therapy.

During the most difficult part of my run, between miles 5.5 and 7, where I was met with a very long hill, I began to actually consider running 26 miles. And it nearly stopped me dead. While 13 miles seems perfectly reasonable to me, 26.2 seems impossible, insane, and totally incomprehensible.

How will I ever be capable of running 26.2 miles?

Why do I want to?

I don’t know. I don’t know if I will be able to ever run that far.

But I have to try.

There was a time in 2011 where the idea of running 13.1 seemed impossible. I had Elliot in February of that year. I started running again 5 weeks postpartum. I ran regularly, but nothing more than 3 to 5 miles at a time. And then in late fall I decided to train for a half marathon. When I didn’t get into the NYC Half, I signed up for The Rock ‘n’ R Half in Washington, DC. The race was scheduled for March 17th, 2012. I was worried. I wasn’t sure I could do it. But I took it day by day. Every week I added a mile to my long runs and before I knew it I was putting away 10 miles. 13.1 no longer looked so impossible.

But 26.2? That feels preposterous! What am I thinking training for a marathon so soon after having a baby?

This seems crazy.

But I have to try.

And if I reach my longest training run of 20 miles and simply can’t do it, or I’m injured for doing too much at once, I won’t run it.

But I have to try.

NOTES

Left the house at 6:51 AM. Temperature: 70s. Sunny.

Pre-run fuel: Maple and brown sugar oatmeal. Enjoy Life Apple Chew Bar. Coffee with sugar and whole milk. Water.

Route: Down past the Duck Pond into South Orange, sharp right through neighborhood, and up past Mountain Station. Down Valley to Milburn Avenue. Up past Trader Joe’s, sharp right onto Wyoming Avenue (very long hill). Wyoming Avenue to South Orange Avenue, zigzagged back through neighborhood. Needed 1.5 more miles, so ran Walton to Jefferson, back home again.

Time and distance: Average 11:32 minute miles. Miles 4, 5 and 9 were the fastest. Mile 7 was the slowest. Mile 7 was the steep and then very long hill on Wyoming. (I’m getting much faster during my shorter, weekly maintenance runs. Still a full minute before I reach my pace from last year, but I’m in the 10-minute mile range.)

Post-run recovery meal: Two Golden Corn VitaTops.

Personal Stuff: NO GUT ISSUES! WOO HOO! I felt pretty ok throughout. Got a bit tired between miles 5 and 7 but that’s because they are almost entirely uphill. My lungs are feeling pretty great. It’s my legs that need strength to even come close to completing 26.2. I guess that’s what all this training is for.

I’m still breastfeeding and since I’m up before the baby, I have to pump ahead of time. This is kind of annoying as it takes up some of my morning. I also have to pump when I return home. It’s kind of an added obstacle to my training.

First run using Toby’s old iPhone since my sound stopped working. Was able to use my armband again, no issues with it dying mid-run.

Purchased an Amphipod Hydraform as my water bottle. Runs are getting longer and therefore I need to hydrate. I thought it would bug me. But it didn’t. I’ll carry it from here on out.

Pros: Beautiful morning.

Cons: Got kind of muggy toward the end of my run. I don’t like humidity and the heat makes me want to punch things. The hills are cruel. I need to work on my hills.

Upward and onward!