Best. Run. EVER!! 19 miles of perfection!

I want to put this run report here because I never want to forget his run.

It was 19 miles of perfection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weather was good -- mid to upper 50s but cloudy. Great temps for me.

I fueled well, with gels at miles 3, 8, and 14.5, plus a clif blok at mile 10. Gatorade for hydration (40 oz) plus two enduralyte capsules (miles 10ish and 15ish). Seemed just right.

Quick potty and water refilling stops (2-4 min each) at miles 3.5, 7, and 12.5. I had planned to stop again at mile 16.5, but didn't need anything, and was just wanting to keep rolling on, so that I did.

19.01 miles 3:31:45 total time (11:08 mm avg pace, 87 avg cadence, 171 avg HR)

1: 11:20
2: 11:40
3: 11:27
4: 11:17 first half, then 11:47 second half (accidentally hit lap button when I was in the bathrooom, oops)
5: 11:40
6: 11:32
7:11:33
8: 11:34
9: 11:39
10: 11:39
11: 11:42
12: 11:27
13: 11:22
14: 11:11
15: 11:14
16: 10:42
17: 10:23
18: 9:28
19: 8:34

My heart rate was strangely high the entire run, avg 171, and, even stranger, it didn't go higher when I sped up. Mile avg HR ranged from 168-178, but it didn't track my speed at all, lol. My 8:34 final mile had one of my lowest HRs -- 169. If anything it went lower when I sped up. I felt more tired and like I was working harder when I sped up, but my HR didn't go up. Strange stuff. Whatever. My heart is a funny thing on many levels, lol.

Legs felt pretty solid. Left knee was achey for a while -- maybe miles 2-12, but it never got bad, and it actually felt fine by the last 5 miles. My right calf felt a bit tight most of the run, but it didn't cause problems. My right piriformis (yes, my ass) was probably my worst pain, and it was a bit achey for much of the run, but it wasn't bad. Nothing interfered with my run or gait.

My husband, Steve, joined me at mile 4.5 for the remaining 14.5 miles of the run. He had some piriformis troubles early on, and got pretty pissy a few miles into it when he was in pain and contemplating bailing out, but he shook it off and kept moving. Neither he nor I was sure if he was going to do the full 14.5 until mile 10 when he decided to not go back to his car (when we passed it on the return route of the outnback), but he was feeling well enough to continue. He pulled it out, and completed his miles. He's twingey now, but not too bad, so we'll see how the next 24 hours treat him (and me, lol). He was so grumpy when he was in pain and considering quitting, and I was afraid to say the wrong thing, so I pretty much let him run his own run, and he put on a brave face and was pretty cheerful after that couple grumpy miles. We chatted a bit every once in a while, and ran close to eachother, but not really together, as he'd run faster, then walk more, whereas I just kept plugging away. And, then those last 4-5 miles, I kinda' kicked up my heels and flew back to the car, whereas he kicked it up a bit, too, but not so much as I did. I was kinda' depressed miles 6-13 when I wasn't sure if he was going to be able to complete his run, and knowing there was nothing I could do or say to make it any better. Once I knew he was going to complete his run, I felt a lot more cheerful. Plus, every additional mile past 13, when I wasn't hitting a wall, it was such a milestone. I fear the miles past 13 since on those two 17 milers the last miles were so brutal. But, this time, just like the 18 miler, the wall never came, and I just got happier and happier as I realized that the curtain was NOT descending!

Some great songs came on the playlist around mile 15-18, and I did quite a bit of trail dancing while running. I'm not talking just a little hand wave or humming. I'm talking air-drumming to REM and full body jumping, loud singing, major hip wiggling, all-out dancing like a lunatic while still running down the trail. This lasted at least a mile or three, sporadically. That was when I was speeding up more and more, lol. I must also disclose that these miles were not on a desolate trail. Rather, they were on one of the busier sections of the trail, just outside of town. I was passing innocent pedestrians at least very quarter mile. It didn't phase me one bit. I am wondering if THIS is what they mean by runner's high?

So, anyway, around mile 18, I was getting tempted to add an extra mile at the end. I figured if I didn't keep speeding up, I'd surely have enough juice to do the full 20. I argued with myself for a while about it, and then I couldn't resist speeding up more and more, so I eventually argued myself out of adding the 20th mile.

Dh trotted up (also having sped up and doing about 10:15 mm for the last few miles) a few minutes after I arrived at the trail head, which was fortunately in a more isolated area, because apparently the runner's high was still in effect, and I flashed him, as he was approaching the car.

I am applying ice. I have clean compression socks in place. I will likely take some advil the next time I get off the couch.

I am very hopeful for a good recovery, as I know I did a good number on my poor body today, but, man alive, it was FUN and SO worth it!

My yoga teacher & Bowen Work therapist sent me a tiny bottle of peppermint essential oil for energy. (She gave it to my husband when he was having his first session right before the run.) I sniffed it a few times, and put a smear on my hand so that I could sniff at will. It really did smell great and give me some energy. I think I'll use it in future runs, too.

An old friend (my sweetheart from 6th grade, lol), who I am facebook friends with, gave me a good mantra that I used a lot today, "Don't think. Just run." I used that many times when I started worrying about my husband or myself or the coming miles. It really was very helpful.

Happy running, everybody!!