Not all runs are created equal.  I know this, because this morning’s 26k/14mile run? yea, it came from the depths of the lowest part of running hell… 

This post will involve too-much-information (<— that is your warning). I debated not posting the details of the run, simply leaving it at, “it sucked,” but this is honestly a reality of running, so please just look at the pretty pictures if you’re not up for it… which boys, you may not be.

I woke up this morning to 6 inches of fresh, white, snow. I heaved and hoed my ass out of bed and within the 7 second walk from my bed to my washroom I felt my IT Band (non-runner’s guide: sharp side knee pain) and my stomach felt sketcho, but I chose to ignore it, because, well, 26k was on today’s agenda, and thus 26k needed to be run! (<— look at me being all hard core n’ stuff) 

The run started off o.k.

It was incredibly slushy everywhere, and most of Toronto’s citizens had yet to rise-n’-shine-and-give-God-the-glory-glory, which meant 99% of the sidewalks weren’t shovelled. This meant we were running on fresh snow, which, for those from warmer climates (lucky you ps), is like running on sand - aka hard. My feet were cold and wet before I hit the 5k marker, and my butt muscles were in full force lunging me forward every step of the way.

My right IT Band hurt, a lot, like, really, really badly. Throughout the run I debated subwaying it back to my car and peacing out straight to my bed, but my stupid brain kept telling myself, “it’ll be o.k., it’ll be o.k.,” but it wasn’t.

My stomach started to act up about 12k in, which means at the 12k mark I should have gone home, but oh no! not I. ”It’ll all be good, stuff like this never happens to me, it’ll go away,” chimed my brain, and thus I trudged forward. 

I am fortunate that rarely my stomach gives me issues, so I figured I could wait until the 20k mark for the pit-stop (non-runner’s guide: washroom stop and store to buy more water/gatorade), but around 16k I needed a washroom, but didn’t end up finding one (Starbucks, I now love you for more than your coffee) until the 18k mark. So yup, 16k - 18k were BRUTAL. (I’ll-leave-it-at-that)

O.k., good, I was feeling better, still had wet/cold feet, and the sharp pain in my right knee, but my stomach was a lot better, except, oh wait, I got my period on the run (thumbs up, world, for that one. I see you laughing up there, God - told you this is a TMI post.)  The cramps hit me hard too, and so for the rest of the run I hobbled through km after km at the back of the group trying not to a) puke, b) cry or c) die. 

At 20k, when I was super thirsty, I realized all my water bottles were frozen (seriously?), and then at the 23k mark, BAMN! I.T. Pain struck my other knee.. I was a sight for sore eyes: cold/wet feet, IT Band Pain in both knees, bad stomach, cramps, thirsty…

But then it was over, and I was done.

My eyes filled with tears on the final stretch home (because of the pain? perhaps) but also because I was so proud of myself for not bailing (even though, it may have been really stupid), so yup, that’s today’s 26k run story.

Next week we cut back to 19k, should be a walk in the park :)

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Distance: 26k / 14 miles.
Time: 3 hours, 18 minutes.
Pace: 7.16/km or 12:15/mile
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