9.6 miles!
Last Saturday, Alan and I did a sort of dress rehearsal for the Half Marathon. Nana Mary came to babysit and we drove down to MDI and ran the carriage road portion of the course (8 miles, from Duck Brook Bridge to Eagle Lake, and then all the way around the lake). But then we had to get back to our car on Dubk Brook Rd, and Alan mapped out a little extra bit to bring it up to a full 10 miles. My plan was to get around Eagle Lake and decide if I wanted to keep going or call him to pick me up. As it turned out, we both made some unplanned modifications to our routes: I took a pit-stop in the woods, and then stayed on the carriage road a little too long before getting on the main road; meanwhile, Alan turned off the carriage road a little too soon, so we both ended up with 9.6 on a day when we had planned 8 and 10 respectively. I can handle that.
It seemed to take forever. It kind of did take forever: my time was 2:12:31 which comes out to a whopping 13:48 pace. Bleck. I walked a lot on the first (uphill) side of the lake. But then there was a nice downhill, and then my mp3 froze up so I ditched it and ended up chatting with a guy named Jeff wearing an Eden Athletics shirt. I asked if he was doing the Half (he is) and managed to keep pace with him from about mile 6.5 to mile 8 where we parted ways. He was very pleasant and really helped to pass the time and keep me going. I tried to call Alan just to tell him my status but had no service so I just plodded on and eventually made it all the way back to the car in tact. I had a bloody spot on one toe and the start of a blister and we could both barely walk for a while afterward. Our grand plan was to get lunch (we found a yummy deli in Bar Harbor) drive the Northeast Harbor 5-miler course (very pretty and unthreatening) and then go for a swim in Little Long Pond. This last item didn't work out the way we thought it would, but we did end up in a lovely grassy field where we relaxed in the sun.
Aaaaaaah....
Everything was blue and green and summery except for one little spot of red in a nearby tree reminding us just how close we are to fall and school and apples and pumpkins.
On the way home, we stopped at Cadillac Mountain Sports to top off our running-themed day.
On a sad note, while we were doing all that, my friend, Jenn, and my god-son, Ethan, were making the 14-hour trek to Pennsylvania where they now live in a pretty little house near her family. It's absolutely the right move for them and I'm so glad they've got the support they need, but I can't help missing her all the same.
you're ready! What a great training run, on the course no less! Good for you both for taking the day to help yourselves feel ready. Great to hear you have gotten up that high in mileage. You'll do great! You could do it tomorrow if you had to. xo
ReplyDeleteNo, no....not tomorrow! But maybe in *gulp* 20 days. Thanks for all your support along the way.
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