Running with the rain

RUN 3hrs 39 mins, 22 miles

My only companion today was the rain, and although it only rained for about 2 miles it stuck with me the rest of the way. Stuck turned to stank, and...well...you can guess how this ended up!!

I'm not used to lonely long runs. For the past year I've had TH or TV to long run with. And I'm not used to long pavement runs. So I had an odd sort of excited/apprehensive/doubtful coming into this. I had options to run with others--I'm sure EC's friend ran today and I could have gone that way--but in the end it just seemed so easy to run from the house without driving across the county. Besides I had a few errands to run. Ha! Pun intended.

So I started out from the house, wove through the 'hood to look at the street for our upcoming B&B cheering, then around TGP where I saw a 5K start, then by the BG where I saw the start of a festival, to the corner with GJ's where I thought about how to finish landscaping the front yard. Off to the Hill where I enjoyed the hills and where the rain started.

To this point, the run was hotter than expected but not bad. As soon as I left the water fountain on Macklind at mile 8.2 it started raining and it built into a quick, soaking downpour. I loved it. I was smiling, looking up to let the drops hit my face, and splashing in puddles. I could hear the drops hitting the pavement, see the echoes and ripples raindrops in puddles, feel the refreshing touch of water on my skin, and smell the wet dirt. Loved it!

But that was it. In another mile or two all that was left was a few stray drops and puddles. And that heavy, clingy, cool feeling of wet clothes. Ew. Around FoPa, up Wydown and back to FoPa, then to work. I never got hungry so I wasn't eating much. But at the same time I was running low on energy. This definitely contributed to my slow shut down and eventual crash. I was hydrating OK though.

Stop by work, then follow my run commute home. Then CRASH. Usually I have a big meal after a run but this time I showered, hydrated, stretched, then ate. Then to my surprise I found myself bed-ridden and wanting to nap! So I napped!

JP's party was later in the day--I'm so excited for her!! I was loopy and tired at the party, I'm not very awake by 8pm on a normal day. Good think I napped.