+ SOME CHRISTMASSY FUN

This past weekend I ran my longest distance ever: 13.5 miles! It was a difficult run, but totally worth it. We also got into the Christmas spirit!

13.55 MILES

This run was only about a half mile longer than my longest run ever (5 half marathons, 13.1 miles each). As Nick puts it, it was my 6th half marathon! And let me tell you, it was difficult.

We drove out to Sedalia to run a gorgeous trail in Roxborough Park, along farm land and surrounded by the foothills. It was an out-and-back route. The first 6 miles were easy peasy. Look at these splits:

Mile 1: 10:49
Mile 2: 10:16
Mile 3: 10:17
Mile 4: 9:26 (feeling great!)
Mile 5: 10:03
Mile 6: 9:51

After the first 2 or 3 miles, I felt strong. My posture and cadence were energetic and efficient. We ran past a group of horses, who ran along with us. We were delighted to see a herd of elk, and some cows.

At mile 6.75, we turned around. And that’s when I realized just how downhill the first half had been! The second half was all uphill, against 20-mph winds. I was depleted of energy, and running low on positive self-talk. Enter the moaning, groaning, and whining section of the run:

Mile 7: 10:49
Mile 8: 12:44
Mile 9: 13:00
Mile 10: 13:25 (ouch!)

You can see just how much I was struggling. Turns out we were gaining about 1,000 feet of elevation over those miles, which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of trail running in Colorado, but it’s a lot for my experience. It hurt.

I must give a shoutout to the man, who never once swayed from sainthood; he encouraged me, told me I was doing well and looking strong, and let me eat all the snacks and drink all the water. I’d have died out there without him! Seriously, though. I’d have collapsed on the ground and given up on life, I think.

Around Mile 11 is when the sugar from the Shot Blocks and fruit leathers kicked into full gear (and when the wind died down), and I felt much better:

Mile 11: 12:49
Mile 12: 11:48
Mile 13: 12:17

The last .55 were uphill and all a blur, but I made it!

CHRISTMAS HAS BEGUN!

The day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of Christmas, in my book. Although we were jet-lagged after a super-early-morning flight home, we managed to start Home Alone… and finished it on Saturday, after a 12-hour snooze! And after my caroling gig Saturday morning, we went shopping and got a cute little Christmas tree! (The lot named her Cindy Lou, and the name has stuck.) We started decorating Cindy Lou, while listening to Sinatra croon Christmas tunes! 😉

We’re hoping to find a better tree-topper soon, and I still have to add the second string of lights… but for now, she’s gorgeous.