Seven(teen) to Heaven

Two miles in yesterday, I started feeling the knee twinge.  At the end of the 7-mile loop, still feeling energized, I started on the 10-mile loop and took a stretch break at Mile 9.  At Mile 10, I stopped and was faced with the decision of whether to keep running or turn around and walk home.  My knee wasn’t in excrutiating pain by any means, but I could feel that annoying, dull twinge with every step.  It was a frustrating situation where you’re not sure if you should press on, or if you should just call it a day to avoid more damage.  9 times out of 10, the latter is the right answer, which of course means I chose the former.  I kept running.

My pace was slow, but this wasn’t the run to worry about speed, lest I exacerbate the pain.  At every hydration break, I stretched a bit and tried to shake out my right leg.  I just wanted to finish my LSD this week so I could take my cutback week in peace, instead of being anxious about making up the long run.  Despite the knee, I felt surprisingly good.  No side cramps, no grumbly stomach, I consistently hydrated, alternating water and Gatorade, popped some Sharkies every few miles, and kept my pace steady.  At Mile 15, the pain started to diminish and miraculously at Mile 16, it disappeared.  

 

17 Miles!

About an 10:13 minute mile average pace, but I figure I have plenty of time to work on my time later.  Between this and the on-the-nose track workout on Wednesday (8 miles total, 5×800 m at 3:40ish each), I’m feeling pretty deserving of a cutback week and refuse to feel guilty about rolling around in bed until noon today.  As a side note, I will never understand people (*cough cough*MATT*cough cough*) who say they felt so good at Mile 17 or 18 or whatever that they ran a full 20.  As good as I might feel at the end of my 17, you know what feels even better?  GOING HOME AND TAKING A NAP.   

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I have no food photos this week, I’m ashamed to say.  I went out to dinner with some girl friends last night at May Street Market, but the lighting was so dim that all my pictures came out super craptastic.  The food was excellent though – I had the grilled hangar steak with peaches, arugula, and onion rings.  I usually don’t order steak when I go out, but I had a huge hankering for red meat and the steak was so deliciously juicy.  For dessert, I had the Bing cherry spring roll – lots of juicy cherries stuffed in an egg roll wrapper and fried, then served with a ginger ice cream sandwich.  That ginger ice cream and the cookie it was served with was the most amazing thing ever.  

Next week, Fiancee and I are planning to head to the Wisconsin State Fair with Fiancee’s bro and his socially-inept, dull, and terribly clingy girlfriend.  I plan to distract myself by stuffing my face with greasy fair food – funnel cakes! curly fries! corn dogs!  I promise I’ll make up this picture-less week next week.