Suh-weet Sixteen

Foreward: You know, I actually do write these things fairly soon after I do my runs (the long runs at least). I slap them into Blogger with the firm intention of re-reading and editing for a basic level of intelligence, but lately I've been having a hard time getting psyched up for the editing process. The problem is if I don't edit I don't post. So a post that was written the day after my run ends up lingering until almost a week later for me to get around to just clicking the button. Anyway, on with the show...

In a stunning reversal of my recent trend of delaying my long runs until Sunday, I actually got up early-ish to run on Saturday. Of course, I also broke my own vow that I would not be crossing Capitol Hill again, but the only one to suffer was me, so nyah!

I work with several other runners, in fact 4 of the 21 people in my department are either current or former marathoners or in training for their first (me). That seems like a very high percentage to me, and I wonder if it says something about the type of people that do this job. Even the ones that don't run are active in some other way: semi-pro baseball, nightly two-hour gym visits, not-to-be-screwed-around-with biking, etc. Overall, as a group we're pretty healthy.

On Friday a couple of the other runners were talking about favorite routes, and they both suggested that I cruise over to Lake Washington and go south toward Seward Park. So I gave it a shot. It's not the Trail, but I was already getting bored with the Trail anyway. And, BONUS, Lake Washington Blvd from Madison to Seward Park is part of the marathon route anyway, so I got a little preview.

Going over the hill hasn't improved any since the last time. In fact, in spite of it being the first mile of my run it was one of the slowest miles of the day. Going down the hill was just as bad in its own way. It's just not a forgiving hill, and it scares me a little bit that the marathon route goes about halfway up in the last miles. Fortunately it's not going to hit the second, steeper half, but any part of that hill at all is going to be a challenge.

Once I hopped on Lake Washington Blvd it was a straight shot to Seward Park. I had a simple plan, go that way, stay on main roads or roads I recognize, turn around when I get to 8 miles. There are a lot of parks in between ranging from parking spot sized to football field sized. Sometimes you leave one by entering another, they're packed so close together. There's even a park under the I-90 bridge, even though everyone knows that the place under the bridge is ALWAYS reserved for the homeless. How else are they supposed to get a roof over their head in rainy weather? As I went through each one I kept my eye out for water fountains. One actually had a bathroom, but I don't trust public bathrooms like that, and I'm definitely not going to fill up my water bottle inside one.

Going along the lake, when I could actually be next to the water, was very nice. For the most part, whether you're on Lake WA Blvd or Lakeside (rd? dr? whatever) you're usually separated from the water by a row of houses where people have paid lots of money to prevent their view from being impeded. It was nice and peaceful, although on the "out" part of the "out and back" I felt like I was running the wrong way to really enjoy the scenery.

You know the note on the your car mirrors that says "objects in the mirror are closer than they appear?" I've come up with a corollary of sorts. "Objects that appear far away are closer than they appear." The I-90 bridge over Lake WA appeared to be far away, so far that I expected that I would turn around within a couple of hundred feet on either side of it. I thought that when I was at 5 miles, so it must have looked about 3 miles away. When I went under it I still had a couple of miles to go.

I had an encounter in one of the parks I went through just before turning around to come back. There was a winnebago, a bright purple hoopty car with flashy rims, and a couple of guys giving a dog a bathroom break. The dog may or may not have been a young pit bull. I ran on past without really thinking about it, but just after I passed them I heard someone shifting their feet very quickly. I turned to look and two possible explanations jumped to my suspicious mind. Either the dog saw someone running as something to chase after and possibly bite, or one of those gents decided to screw around with a stranger. My heart sped up a bit. I don't want to screw around with dogs or other people. Fighting animals or people (sometimes the same thing) is hard, and it's been a while since I even thought about my kung fu. I didn't stop to find out which one it was, but I did turn around every once in a while to see if either the dog or the guys were staying put.

Another quarter mile beyond was my turnaround spot, and my designated choice for a momentary rest break. The weather was perfect for a run: overcast, maybe 55*, and just a little breeze. So my first rest break didn't happen until right at the 8 mile mark. I had some GU and drank about half of my water bottle. I'd been keeping my eye out for refill spots the whole time, and I had two possibles picked out. After a couple of seconds catching my breath and working myself up for the return run, I beat feet and headed home. I avoided the spot where the dog-walkers were hanging out. I didn't want dog or dudes to have second thoughts about letting me pass the first time.

At around the 9 mile mark I felt the tell-tale stinging of a blister on my foot. There's something in my Asics that is sticking up just enough to scrape a little bit. I will fully admit right here and right now that I am a wuss. I do not like pain, I go out of my way to avoid anything that will cause it, and I have no problem making someone think that my blister is like a second degree burn. Unfortunately, when you're 7 miles from home with limited options for relief the only thing you can do is suck it up and deal with it. I saw a multi-sport store on my way out that I would get to around mile 11 or 12 where I might find something to cover the blister with, but that was still going to be 4 miles in front of me. Time to man up.

The multi-sport store, when I got there, had nothing to offer me. They suggested some Glide, but I didn't feel like that was going to take care of my need, especially since that foot already had some Glide on it where the blister was forming.. I was looking for some tape, maybe like the kind I use on my nipples. As a balm for their failure to have a wide assortment of blister relief products, the multi-sport guys were kind enough to let me refill my bottle. Larry: 1, Dehydration: 0!

Once I got back to Madison, my speed decreased noticeably. If you go over the hill one way you have to go back over it the other. I hate that hill. After half marathon distance, I just couldn't force myself to run up both halves of it. I made it up the first slope, but the second slope was just too much and I had to do a bit of walking. Eventually I reached the top and was able to head back down.

Unless you've actually been on the hill, I don't think you can get a good feeling for what it's really like. I think it comes across better if you think visually. Take a capital "L" and lay it on it's side with the short arm to the left. That's basically what this hill looks like. Going west is a steep slope up with a gentle(ish) grade down. Going east is a gentle(ish) grad up with a steep slope down. You're basically screwed either way you go, and I have to go both ways to get over the Lake WA and back home.

Rather than turn off and head straight home I went straight down Madison into the real businessy area of downtown. I'd taken some shortcuts on the way back that I thought I would have to make up for somewhere, and this seemed like the best place. Plus, I wanted to stop by SBUX on the way home and grab some coffee. I had to run through the Saturday afternoon shopping crowds on Pine, but people who don't get out of my way are the ones that regret it, not me. By the time I get back to downtown I'm filthy, sticky and smelly, and I have no problem giving someone else some of my sweat and stink. I must have made some good choices because I hit 16 miles about a block away from SBUX and called it done.

I took Sunday off and did a treadmill run on Monday in my Asics, and it just about killed me. After about a mile in them the blistering feeling returned and it made me change how my feet hit to compensate a little. Bad, bad, bad idea. I don't think I hurt either of my feet, but I wasn't helping them and I've got some uncomfortable toes today. Plus there was some pulling on my right achilles tendon too. I'm going to have to monitor that now. I paid for the marathon on Friday, and the Seattle Marathon has a "no take-backs" policy. If you get injured and can't run, you can't get your money back, can't put the money toward next year's race, and (technically) can't transfer it to a friend. I'm not going to be out $100 because I'm being stupid. Oh, and I think I'm probably going to end up losing one of my toenails on my left foot. Yay. The toe feels a little bruised and the area under the toenail is tender. I'll have to see how it goes, but if it's going to go, then it better do it with enough time for me to recover before the race.