Trouble times 20....

"It won't be pretty...." says Running Buddy last Friday as we contemplated doing our 20 miler together this weekend.

She was right....our 20 miler was anything but pretty. It was down right difficult...and coyote ugly...and all that pain had to offer.

It started off with poor wind conditions. The wind must have been blowing steadily at 15-20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph at the beach. It has been like that for the last few days as the North East winds have been howling here on the East Coast despite the perfect temps and weather overall.

But Saturday....the winds were howling. It was cool and cloudy. Otherwise, a picture perfect day for running 20 miles.

I was nervous....not for Running Buddy but for myself. It's the first 20 miler on our training schedule and we are about 7 weeks out from the marathon. This 20 miler is what I have been working up to all summer.

Running Buddy and I met at her condo ready to roll. Except for some mild soreness from Friday's 9 miler (in the wind), all was good with us.

We started off head on into the wind on the boardwalk for about 6 miles.  Gust after gust after gust. We would speed up then slow down...speed up...you get the idea.

We made it to the 6 mile turn around point feeling pretty good....except I had to pee.  Yup....had to pee...so for the next 3 miles, I'm scoping out a squat spot.

Luckily for me and Running Buddy, who was ready to walk it out a bit, I find a nice area with lots of foliage....and a small path. I headed towards it and ducked on in. Low and behold.....THORNS GALORE. Yipes.....I managed to navigate a spot....squated carefully as to not whizz on my new Asics and finished on up. As I exited this thorn forest...I got raped and scratched all over my legs and arms. Yuck...but I felt better!

We continued on our run in the tailwind this time. Ah...what a relief to run quickly with little effort. We got back on the boardwalk and ran peacefully for next few miles. Passed a quaint wedding. Passed several tourists still hanging around. Watched the angry surf.

Then we hobbled up the bridge and headed south into our teen miles. "Just make it to Boneshakers (biker bar)" Running Buddy says....and we keep a steady pace in the tailwind still, all the way to the end where the bar is. 

We stop, drink, stretch and continue on for the last part of this run that has gone pretty well at this point. At least that is what I thought. Then the trouble began. The fight for survival was on.

We only made it about a mile and a half when Running Buddy gave up. She stopped dead cold in her tracks and said "I gotta stop and I think I have to sit down." So we sit.  Both of us out of water and food and tired and Running Buddy starts to experience pain and dizziness that she has never experienced. We chat...I try to make her laugh....I eat the last 2 snickers candies....we decide to move on.

And it just got worse. Running Buddy is dehydrated...bloated and sick from chugging too much water. 

Then she hit the wall.               

The run was over at mile 17. She could no longer run. Honestly, my body was shot from all the stopping and going we had done for the last 5 miles.

Walking the last 3 miles was pretty tough physically and very demoralizing emotionally for me. I had to watch Running Buddy suffer AGAIN. It is so hard watching someone you care about go through the pains and agonies that the long hard miles have to offer. But it IS the right of passage. It IS what one must go through. It IS the hardship of long distance running.

We made it back to the condo but I think Running Buddy just barely made it. One more mile and we would have had to call in the support (her fiance'). She seemed a little disoriented and tired and definitely sick to her stomach still. 

Me on the other hand....I didn't know quite what to think. And I still don't.

But there are a few more 20 milers that we have still to redeem ourselves and that's the good news.

I felt pretty down about yesterday's run all day today. So I cleared the cob webs with a nice 45 mile bike ride. Oh it felt so wonderful. But what in the HELL is up with indecisive squirrels?? Here we go man....the squirrels are busy getting ready for the season change and now we get to play chicken in the road with their dumb asses.

AND.....last but not least...tonight on mile 40....the sun set.....and left the most AMAZING shade of hot pink clouds in the sky.  And.....the water way that I passed on mile 40 reflected that beautiful shade of pink.....and I thought about the beauty and power of the color pink.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Here comes Monday! JOY JOY from the East Coast.....