Things Learned on an 18 Miler

18 Miles is not as hard as it sounds...but you will be sore afterwards.

When you really need to pee, you really need to pee - endurance running is not for the overly modest. Sometimes squatting in the bushes is the best you're gonna get.

Iliotibial (IT) Band pain - it happens. Compression wraps work. (Note to self - buy one before next long run!)

Everything the coaches say about rest, eating and hydration is true.

Some pains can be run through. Some can't. Helps to know which are which.

You really can psych yourself out - in good ways or bad.

Being able to say "I ran 18 miles this morning for charity" feels pretty damned good and makes the soreness worth it.

Trying to Get Back

Ugh...so this whole "cleaning up from the storm" thing really got me sidetracked and weighed down. I'll spare you the details, but long story short I've really been in a pissy mood and stressed out.

Got up early this morning. Ran 10. Very grateful for the company of Sharita, one of the women I've run with a few times. We were both tired and both off-schedule as far as running. A couple of times we found ourselves just getting silly and laughing out loud, which I really needed.

Marine Corps Marathon is ONLY 49 days away.

Oh, and for what it's worth...I can deal with the soreness and the aches. But chafing absolutely BITES, especially in places you didn't expect it!

Long runs, Phoenixes, Hurricanes

So first...running. Yep, ran more than my planned 12 last weekend. We started early because of the impending storm barrelling up the east coast. I missed my very last turn and ended up running an extra mile and a half or so...whoops. But it was all good. Minimal ankle pain. Now I can get synched back up with the rest of the team for most of the remaining training weeks! YAY!

I should mention that I am doing this to raise money for charity! I haven't said much about that in a while as I have been focused on the running training itself...but I am still nowhere near my $3K goal. This weekend, many of my friends are in Montreux and London, celebrating what would have been the 65th (!) birthday of the man so many of us loved. The money you donate goes to AIDS United and the Washington AIDS Partnership...and I am raising it in the name of The Mercury Phoenix Trust. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Freddie or hear him speaking or singing in my head.

If you want to sponsor me :  SPONSOR SUZANNE'S MARINE CORPS MARATHON RUN

I have had a rough few days and haven't been keeping to my maintenance run schedule. Hurrican Irene rolled in on Saturday...and knocked our power out until Tuesday, flooded my basement, and did a bit of damage to the roof. Clean up is going slowly...but we're getting there. This is a holiday weekend coming up, so I hope to have enough time and help to finish cleaning up...and to get in a nice 10 mile recovery run (in true Phoenix fashion).