mickey mouse

mickey mouse

Thursday 4 October 2012

To Hell and Back


So it's almost the end of the road, the big show, balls to the wall, all that stuff. My first full marathon will take place in 10 days.  Anything I haven't already done to prepare isn't going to help now, and everything I've accomplished training will carry me forward on race day.

My last 'big' run was last Sunday. It was also my first run over 30K. The magic schedule said to run 35k, and I was dreading the idea of running around in my home town, since another glimpse of the same old streets was likely going to send me to the fun house.

Ah, thank goodness for Google, which pointed my running crew to the former T H and B trail (was a rail line, is now a rail trail and goes by the nickname To Hell and Back). The trail is just over 32k, and runs from Brantford ON to Hamilton ON. (Don't look on a map, it's REALLYYYYYYY far)

Crack of dawn, meet up, drop car 1 at end point, drive car 2 to start point. Note to self, if it looks like a bad area of town, listen to the inner voice (and the sirens).

Off we go, into the beautiful Fall morning, leaves changing colour before our eyes. We saw lots of neat nature, from deer to sheep grazing in the pastoral fields. It's a good thing there was stuff to look at 'cause it took SIX FREAKING HOURS to 'run' the trail, complete with injures, bathroom breaks, sign reading and photo ops.

All I could think about for the last 5k was breakfast...or lunch...or roasted squirrell if I could catch one.  That, and how freaking cool it was that I'd surpassed my previous 'longest' run!

Got done, dragged back to car 1, drove back to Bford for car 2. Discovered some jackmunch tried to break into car 2 while we were running. Seriously? Didn't succeed (apparently if they DID the car would have been gone). Call the local law enforcement, nice officer comes. Mentions we're kind of parked in a bad area (who knew, there wasn't a sign that said Ghetto, park at your own risk). Luckily no permanent damage to car 2.

Toast that and our successful run over a huge dinner. Drive home almost asleep, realizing again how FAR Brantford is from Hamilton.

Now we taper, or as I like to call it 'recover from my horrible cold while working 3 jobs, single parenting while hubby is away for 4 days, and hope my dorsalflexor thingy stays dormant'.

I have to say that there's no way in heck I'd have made it this far without my running buddies. If I didn't have them calling, texting, e-mailing and showing up on my doorstep I'd never have continued the training. Lori, Angel, Emily and Kaylee have brought me further than I ever thought I'd go (literally).  Rain, dark, snow, cold, hot, sick, injured, happy, stressed, we've run through it all. When I cross the line at Scotiabank I'll do it with them beside me...if only in spirit.

I feel bad for my non-running friends, whom I'm neglected for so long I think some have stopped talking to me (but I've yet to notice). All I've done lately is sleep, work, run, do laundry and see my family in passing. I'd promise it will get better soon, but next up is the Goofy Challenge, and that's WAY more tranining. How about this, let's hook up in February when things quiet down? I don't like to run in the Winter.

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