After joining Raleigh Galloway, we started tossing back 'n forth the idea of running a full marathon. We're signed up for the half that's part of the Richmond Marathon and could easily upgrade to the full marathon before September 30. We reviewed the calendar to see when that would be on the Galloway training calendar. Once we realized it was doable, we decided that we would make the decision on the full after the August 31 18-miler.
Yesterday's run was supposed to be 12-miles. Since Suz was at the beach and I wanted to stick with people I knew, I decided to do 14-miles, the furthest I've ever run in my life (and probably not a good idea to jump like that!).
The Galloway group met at a the Inside-Out Sports store on Creedmoor Road to head toward the Lake Lynn area. When I saw the run was at Lake Lynn, I should have known it could be a really crappy run. While the Capital Area Greenway system is great, Lake Lynn just isn't my cup of tea. There are lots of places where the path is tilted in toward the lake significantly, especially if you are running clockwise around the lake.
The run was a monster for sure, but I survived. As soon as Rose, Monica and I were done, I immediately got in the car - not the best idea. My right leg started feeling like it was seizing up/cramping. On the drive home, I texted Suz and told her I didn't think my body was going to let me do a full, all the while crying because I knew I could do it and I want to do it. I also texted Jason to let him know I was on the way home and to lament the feeling of "failure" of the long run. He assured me that it was gonna be alright. Who knew that 14-miles could be so mentally and physically testing?!
I was so very grateful to see Jason waiting at the front door when I got home. He hugged me and reassured me that I could do it. He held me while I cried the biggest alligator tears from the feeling of failure. Once I got my "mess" together, he reminded me that this was the furthest I had run and that I had said the running area wasn't idea, etc. He "talked me off the ledge" of skipping out on running the Richmond Marathon.
Once I had my shower and fountain Coke (evidently I stopped at McDonald's on the way home to get a fountain coke - I don't remember!), I was in a bit better mood. I put on my Raleigh CrossFit "Stay in the Fight" t-shirt as a reminder of how far I've been and where I'm going. That's what the coaches would tell us - stay with it.
Looking forward to the rest of this journey toward completing Richmond!
