I can do it!

Can't believe I made it! and then some.
This is it, my 16 kilometre run day. Longest EVER!

Started up Beatty from Cambie, or where Catie goes to gymnastics.
The first 2K were a piece of cake, down Cambie, through gastown, up Water St, Cordova, to Georgia to the start of the Stanley Park seawall. I got really off course trying to decide whether to stay on the seawall in Coal Harbor, or stick to the road. I ended up going on a squiggly route back and forth between the two. There were some really fast runners burning past me on that seawall. The Big Business album finished playing around here, and I set the thing on shuffle for the rest.

I got a pain in my back, in the bad spot, at the Rowing Club, like the feeling of a bruise. Tender. I slowed down, and just continued to put one foot in front of the other. I was suprised when I hit the 6K mark right before the point where Paula and I ran to last week for our 2km calibration run. It made me smile to think of her doing her happy dance while she ran along this stretch. The mountains are beautiful across the water, softly white tipped, but the cold had come back. I had to put my warm up hoody back on for awhile, and everything looked grey white mist...

I was feeling really good as I came around the lighthouse point, and along the north side of the park, looking forward at the lions gate bridge and thinking about the prospect point hill. It was going to come right on schedule, at 10K, like it will be during the race. I was feeling good. I karate chopped a seagull that flew too close and when my ipod told me I was half way, I did two big high kicks and more hi-ya chops. I was going to do this thing! My knees were still good, just a little creaky, but nothing to slow me down. Haha, from my shuffle step walk run...

At 9K, I left the seawall, and went to run along the road where it started to rise away from the water. I plodded along, not really thinking about anything. Its funny how when these runs are difficult or long, my brain shuts off. My mind won't wander, its just-concentrate on your form and your step, and look forward, whats up ahead? Look at these people passing me-just in the moment. The hill is not as I imagined it. It is not a wall of asphalt trying to break me down, just a winding, slight, friendly slope with lots of trees and forest to appreciate on the way. I used all the techniques I've learned, though, chest pushing a door open, kick out behind like road runner, focus on the top of the hill, head up, eyes forward, little steps, push off from the ball of the foot...it ended up feeling like a good foot stretch!

I was really happy to get up on top of that bridge that crosses the highway at the gates of the bridge. I air fived the lions, and shouted "eye of the muthafuckin' taiga!" as my machine told me I hit 10K right on track at the lookout. I was smiling as I stripped off the layers and looked out over the water at the grizzly grey north shore, and started back down the hill around the west side of the park. OK, that hill is really long, and was not kind on the knees, no matter how I slowed.

I got the bottom and started getting a little nervous, I was nearly done, I had to shave some of the distance off of this run, get back to Yaletown to meet Bethany in time, so I took an inside trail, looking to deek through the woods to Nelson or Davie and pin it over the hill. I started to feel a distinct chafing under my armpits, and up between my thighs, but up there...um, anyways... If I can stand yet another conformity, I might have to get some more technical gear for my real runs b/c it could get worse on a hotter day. I was running with my arms out like little wings, trying to avoid the chafe. Man, I was a salt lick!

I found myself veering away from the water, back towards Coal Harbor, so I ducked into the trees, off of the path, and had to charge though gardens and lawns, trying to find a way out of the park, I was getting frustrated when I got to the golf greens and still couldn't see a way out! I had to pee and started to feel cramps in my tummy, my body saying, "Emma, seriously, it's bathroom time, yo!" I started complaining out loud, an getting a little nervous. I actually was thinking about how I would possibly play down crapping my pants in my blog to make it not as gross as it was about to be. Luckily, and suddenly, it went away. I finally found a muddy path behind the tea house, through a rhodo garden, and out into an alley. One km left, it told me, then 400 metres.

At 300 metres, I got a crazy pain in my foot as I dodged a car backing up to block the whole alley and the driver just staring at me out his window like a dummy. I thought about sliding over the hood, or jumping up and three stomping over it, but between how tired my knees were, and my owie foot, and my meek nature, my mind was made up for me. But it made me mad enough to palm slap the hood and hard stare the guy. My right foot felt broken! I was limpy, and walked for a bit, rolling it around, trying to crack it back or something. It eventually worked with 100 metres to go!

I finished 16 kms at Cardero, just at the bottom of the hill. 16.03kms in 1:53 at an averaged pace of 7:04kms/min....I think that is right on track with my race goal at this point. Amazing!
I walked up the hill, and then started a timed run down from just before Bute at Pendrell to Pacific at Davie. 15.42mins, and another 1.94 but nice and slow, traffic light waiting, street crossing and recrossing 8.08 pace.

I did the same system as last week's run, walking for around a minute every time the announcer told me it was an even number. I wore my water belt, with all three bottles this week. Two water and one boost. I couldn't find any goo last night when I remembered I needed some. Instead I just got regular boost, and I think I liked it better, but it hasn't the same content. Those goo things are high carbohydrate and electrolyte. The boost is all protein...whatever, it was sugar, and it helped.

I amazed that my knees didn't do their crazy grinding...I was worried I would snap them this time. And really inspired to get it on. Once I accomplish this goal, I have a bunch more impossible ideas that a lot of people tell me are "really hard to get into", or , "take a lot of money to get done", or plain old, "you'll never be able to do that", just lined up and ready to execute.

Fuck them!
Ain't that right, my people?