12 Mile-er

I’m training for my second half marathon in December, so yesterday, I ran my first 12-miler since my last half. Don’t worry, I carb loaded all day in preparation! Or maybe it was a good excuse to eat spaghetti rather than my small salad for lunch. Either way, I did not want to fail at this run. Running is hard enough, but it’s crunch time. Not only do I need to ensure I can run the distance, but I’d like to have enough time before race day to shave some minutes off my time.

I headed to the gym with a positive mindset and a tummy full of carbs! But to make the run even better, I hopped on (at least what I think) the best treadmill because it sits perfectly between two air conditioners, thus, you get the airflow of both ACs. Because the treadmills only allow 60 minutes before shutting off, I decided to break my run down into three 4 mile runs (it made for easy math and multiple breaks).

The first four miles flew by, no problem. I was actually having fun and staying really focused. The problem with running, though, is that each mile gets exponentially harder. So I knew that my easy run would undoubtedly go south before I was ready.

The second four miles weren't too bad. I was beginning to get bored (you can only watch the news without listening to it for so long before losing interest). But nonetheless, I ran on. When the final set of four miles came around, my theory about miles getting exponentially harder was proven as much as ever. The last two miles, I was actually giving Luke (who was patiently waiting on the treadmill next to me) time cues every thirty seconds. I literally felt like shouting “ONLY NINETEEN AND A HALF MINUTES LEFT!!!!” but thought that might be a little much for those around.

After the run, I was so tired, I could hardly walk. When I got home, I laid down and started stretching my already-tight hamstrings and begged Luke to bring me a banana so I wouldn't turn into a giant muscle cramp. It’s ironic because I hate bananas, but sometimes, they’re lifesavers (one of the many lessons I learned after my first half marathon). So while my shower water was warming up, I was rolling around saying, “I HATE BANANAS!” as I took another bite.

Here’s the picture I had to take. Take note of the carpet. I really was eating while laying down.

And since I'm rarely hungry after running, I decided to have the dinner of champions

Anyway, like every other run, a couple hours later, I had forgotten how bad it was and thought, “I’d love to do it again tomorrow!”

Don’t worry, I didn’t.

Running Stats
Distance: 12 miles
Time: 1:58

Playlist (my iPod was on shuffle, hence the eclectic variety)
Don’t Turn Out the Lights - NKOTBSB
Live Like We’re Dying - Kris Allen
You’re the World to Me - David Gray
Take a Chance on Me - Mamma Mia!
Love Lockdown - Kanye West
Dalit Hymn - Caedmon’s Call
Hallelujah - Rich Mullins
Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw
Violent Hill - Coldplay
Sing Mary Sing - Jennifer Knapp
Look at me Now - Chris Brown
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked - Cage the Elephant
Dog Days are Over - Florence + The Machine
Misery - Maroon 5
Inside - Jennifer Knapp
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
If I Stand - Rich Mullins
Better That We Break - Maroon 5
Collide - Jars of Clay
This Ain’t a Scene - Fall Out Boy
Tonight - West Side Story
OMG - Usher
The (After)Life of the Party -Fall Out Boy
Yellow - Coldplay
The Carpal Tunnel - Fall Out Boy
Visions - Jennifer Knapp
Overjoyed - Jars of Clay
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
Shark in the Water - V.V. Brown
Revolution - Jars of Clay
Crank That Soulja Boy - Soulja Boy
Amber - 311
The Cave -Mumford and Sons