The best 18 miles EVER!

I am telling you I was sooooo nervous about having to make it 18 miles today. I just finished about an hour ago! woowhoo!

ok.. heres the story (for those of you interested)

I tried hard to focus on carbs yesterday because I think a LOT of my problem on the last try was I had NO fuel. So I ate one and half slices of pizza for lunch, on for supper, and right before I went to bed at about 930ish.. i ate a bowl of oatmeal with slivered almonds and blueberries and drank lots of water.

I woke up on my own at 4am (why do we do this when we know we are waking up 30 mins later?) so I rolled over and went back to sleep.. or tried to... then my watch went off at 430... I was tired . but I made myself get up.

normal routine, let the dog out, go potty, get dressed, check facebook :), post on the blog, lace up the shoes, brush the teeth, get water bottles out of fridge, add gatoraid powder to one of them, grab cliff bar, get all the stuff in a walmart bag, .. go potty one more time :) get the key, and my cell phone and head out the door.

I thought 6am was my favorite time of day. but I quickly changed my mind. at 5am .. the stars are BEAUTIFUL!!!! I love our little west texas town cause we are in the city but can still see so many stars! :)
I enjoyed listening to the dogs barking in the distance, the crickets, the little bit of traffic far off, and the blinking red and yellow lights down the road. I walked about a mile to my starting point and hid my bag of goodies in the tall ornamental grass, and started running.

I ran 8.5 miles with no walking! I am not kidding! I have NEVER in my life done this. Before I knew it I looked down and my watch said 1hour 40 mins! miles 9, 10, I ran and walked only 3 times for only 3 mins each, mile 11.......well, my friends, mile 11, which is ALWAYS a killer and ALWAYS makes me want to stop... WAS A BREEZE! I ran all of mile 11! only one more walking break on my 12 and 13 and I was feeling GREAT, making GREAT time! I stopped for a second to get a bite of my cliff bar (just three bites) and drink some water and gatoraid. I only had 5 miles to go and I felt so wonderful! I thought.. wow.. maybe I will be able to run the last 5. But my body said .. NOPE... I walked and ran 14, 15, walked almost all of 16, walked-ran 17 and ran most of 18.
and
i
was
done!
3 hours 45 mins later. I had seen stars, the purple pink of the sunrise, and finished with my sunglasses on as the sun was bright and shining right in my face :)

Heres what I really enjoyed:

• the quietness of the early morning
• the stars
• the sounds of our little town just before it wakes up
• the little ants working hard for their breakfast
• being surprised that I wasnt the only one out
• getting to see Coach running with a group of kids
• getting so see Coach go for a run by himself and blast past me, coming and going! (he is amazing!)
• getting to see my sister, my sweet friend, and my mom, all out on the track this morning :)
  
• getting a call from one of my daughters friends as I was on mile 17 (she thought I was at home and wanted to talk to Cat)
  
• the little plotch of greener area on the band practice field that just happened to look like a grand piano!
• That NOTHING on my body hurt until mile 16!
• Running in the road instead of on the grass or sidewalk cause the sprinklers were on
• All the older people out with their dogs
• All the college kids that were out
• the Daddy walking the little girl to school (and carrying her backpack)
• My sweet sister bringing out two water bottles for me from her office :)
  

things I could have done without:

• stepping in a puddle on mile one and soaking part of my right foot.
  
• the smell of the garbage truck as it pasted by me 3 times
  
• being so tired at the end
• crying on mile 18 :)

so.

thats it.

I iced these legs and will now eat breakfast and get some rest and schooling done with the kids :)

Gotta Stretch!

wooooowhooooo!

Ice Baths ROCK!

But if you stay in too long it could do this to you! :)
tehehehe!