Runnin up the miles (& ice baths)

Month: October (notice we've gone from weeks to months)
Miles: Tons (we've increased from 10 to 18 miles in a month)
Death Toll: 0
Injuries: Too numerous to count on two hands (I'm being dramatic, but you know me)

Well hello DisneyHalforDieTrying fans (or rather people who are forced to read this because you're our friends and family).

It's certainly been a while I know. But just because the blogging has been on hiatus, doesn't mean the running has. Because as you read (and are probably wondering) we've gone from 10 to 18 miles and are forging forward. So,the story goes a little something like this...

Prior to my trip to the Big Apple, we actually completed our first half. The week I returned, we did light runs and then Big B took a cruise. When she returned we did our second half. The second about killed me. It was not nearly as invigorating as the first one. So after speaking with the "higher authority" I decided I can't focus on the miles. You see, I typically set my Nike Plus to track the mileage so it tells me every mile how far I've gone and then counts down the miles I have left after reaching the half way point of the run. So since this is a mental "game" I had to get the "tracking" out of my head, and relegated this task to Big B.

So we're going for 14. I told Big B, I don't want to know... you track, I'm just going to run and jam to my iTunes! She said "so you don't want to know the sex of the baby?" I said "no, I like knowing we're having one, but I don't need to know the sex." (I'm speaking figuratively people, so just to be clear, neither one of us is pregnant.) So, anyway we take off and we're going and it's great. I had a general idea of the distance to and from where we were running, but wasn't 100% sure. (Keep in mind, we're going for 14 miles). So, we've reached the half way point of our run and she checks in "interested in finding out the sex now?" I said "negative Ghost Rider," and we continued along our merry way. Both rockin and runnin right along, I see the Wal-Greens which is a turning point and I know we're about 3-5 miles off from the house. However, I'm concerned we may have to run more, b/c I'm thinking the original route wasn't as long as intended. So, I'm still not wanting to know the "sex," I (we) forge on, even though I'm secretly starting to feel it. So I receive a sign of hope from Big B when she says to take the short way back, and I think to myself "whew, thank goodness we don't have to keep going and we're heading back to the house." So we're about 500 meters from the house and she asks me "how you doing?" and I say "I don't want to say" and she asks "why?" and I respond "because I don't want to think negatively" and she says "well tell me" and I say "ok, my knees and hips are starting to hurt" and she smiles and says "me too, wanna know how far we've gone?" and I say "yes, please tell me we got the 14 in?" and she says, "yea about a mile back when we came up to Timber Creek High!" I couldn't believe it, we made it 15 miles. AWESOME! And as with all of our long runs, we treated ourselves to a delectable breakfast and ice baths (separately- not together people...get your heads out of the gutter)!

So, fast forward to this past Sunday. 18 miles. We ran in beautiful Lake Nona, b/c we needed a change of scenery from beautiful Avalon Park. It's a 6 mile loop and by the end of the second lap I was really starting to feel it and questioning if I could really keep going. So we we stopped again for another water break and I refueled with some Luna chews for women (tasty and much better than the shot blocks). Again, I tried the "I'm not in charge of tracking miles" and it wasn't working for me this time. We got 2 miles away from the car- 16 (which was the original goal of this week's run) and I was having an unusual pain in my left knee. It was unusual b/c it wasn't a pain I was ever familiar with from my dancing days, so I was becoming increasingly concerned. So, Big B said "we can walk back, it's ok, we met the scheduled goal." But I didn't want to disappoint Big B or myself. And of course when Big B said "ummm, would have been better if you conked out a little closer to the car, cause it's a long walk back," I realized she was correct, mustered up enough strength to keep going and had more self-encouraging conversation with myself, then I've had in my entire life! But, we finished, we completed 18 miles and once again rewarded ourselves with a yummy breakfast at Sweet Mama's! (Which BTW, my dancers & families- head over there for breakfast, lunch or dinner for some of the best yummy, southern food in town; take Narcoossee all the way down heading into Lake Nona, and you'll eventually see it on the left- a little ways down after you go under the 417).

So after concluding breakfast, it was time to head to our respective homes, and you guessed it, ice down...and not with one bag of ice, but two. Can I just say the ice baths are cold as you imagined and suck...and to tell you the truth I'm not entirely convinced the cold baths work b/c I'm about three steps away from needin a cane to help me walk!

Until the next post...
Little B

P.S. We ran an easy five this morning...well, truth be told it wasn't so easy...because we froze our a$$' off...