Where do I start with this run.
As we got our young son ready for school this morning, my coach and loving husband asked "hills or sprints?". I hadn't even had my coffee and he was already excitedly asking how I wanted him to torture me on my long training run that day. I ignored him and hoped I could hide in my coffee cup.
Ignoring coach didn't work, he pestered me until finally he just decided on his own and announced "we will be running the 'gas line' road". I knew I was in for it when I heard this as I have heard my hubby and his brother discuss this run and its brutality. I should have picked sprints.
After a couple mile warm up along my usual route, we turned and ran up an arroyo. For those of you not familiar with these dried up old river beds, they are either rocky or deep sand...think the beach...and you are running in it. Oh wait, you probably pictured the hard packed sand at the waters edge when I said 'beach', but what I mean is the deep swollow-you-up sand that you trudge through to get to that awesome place at the beach. It is not fun to run in the sand. Coach says it strengthens your stabilizing muscles. Evidently this is a strength run.
After about a mile, the course changed to rolling hills, an old service road. The hills continued to increase in size and I was alerted to the fact that there would be 3 horrible hills...with each rolling hill I asked if that was one of the horrible ones, coach said I would know it when I saw it. Hmmm...I asked because I thought I had seen it.
Hill 1. Now there are hills and then there are HILLS. As we approached the little bastard, coach informed me that I wouldn't simply attempt to run up the thing, but that I would do it on the balls of my feet and with high knees. What the hell? Now that is a work out. After that I was happy for the rolling hills and then we hit Hill 2.
Hill 2. The burn in my thighs was still singing from Hill 1 when we hit Hill 2. This thing was a beast! Steeper and longer than the 1st, this hill required me to focus on my balance simply so I didn't fall backwards off the damn mountain! At one point I thought I might need to find hand holds and looked at a big rock considering grabbing onto it. Then I fantasized about taking that rock and smashing it into my head so I could get out of doing this run. At the top I tried to catch my breath, my thighs now SCREAMING, but there was no stopping, just the reprieve of more rolling hills.
Hill 3. Do you know that feeling of doom? Maybe the sense one feels before they are attacked by a shark, they see it coming, they know it is going to be horrible, but there is no way out...ya, that is how I felt. This Hill was the longest of the 3 and might possibly be taller than Everest. I dug deep and worked really really hard to not complain. I may need to remind you that I have promised to stop complaining ON the runs. Today I felt like I was working a Buddhist path to Enlightenment, it was a deep down soul wrenching experience to NOT complain! Mid way up the horrible horribleness, coach reminded me to pick up my knees. May I remind you AGAIN just how hard it was NOT to complain?
At the top I was allowed to stop and try to stand on my now shaking legs. I might mention the beautiful view or the incredible green of the cottonwood trees that we were now high above...but I hated the world at that point. Now, I had to run down these hills...and my legs were absolute jello.
As we hit the road and my old running route once again, I realized that the run home was going to be difficult. My legs were mush...burning mush and my heart was pounding from the effort to propel my body forward. It took forever to complete those miles. I ceased talking or responding to my husband's chipper observations of our charming town. I pulled every ounce of willpower out to keep myself from crying. I mean really? I thought I was over the running-makes-me-cry thing! Obviously not.
At home, my thighs tingled and felt like they had a scorching sunburn from the effort they had just put out. It took me nearly an hour to stop feeling like I wanted to weep. Now that I type that, I kinda want to cry again.
I never complained.
Thank God for this blog so I can let it all out! Now for some very very well earned Fueling. I may have to drink my wine straight from the bottle because I can't fathom getting up to get a glass.
-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com
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