Runstreak Day #246 - sweaty hot Sweatshop run

A 'very nearly 10 mile' run this morning.  My pedantic side won't allow me to round up the last 0.19 to make it 10 miles!  Anyway... I thought I'd share some of the thought processes which were wandering around my head as I ran with the Sweatshop Running Community group this morning...

Pre-run - 'Don't think I can manage this... don't be silly, you've run further than this before... but I don't think I can... but you can, stop being stupid... but what if I can't... you can... can't... can... damn it, I'll go...'

Mile 1 - 'Okay, this is survivable...legs working... knee not hurting too much... pace seems okay...'

Mile 1.5 - 'Damn... can't seem to find my rhythm... the faster ones have gone off ahead... and I can't keep up... don't know if I can do this... maybe I should aim for 7 miles instead'

Mile 2 - 'Right, right, I got this... maybe I could just do 5 miles though... yeah... I'll aim for 5... that means I'm nearly half-way...'

Mile 3 - 'Think... I... might... die...'

Mile 4 - 'okay, I can't keep up with the faster ones, I'm not with the slower ones, I'll be okay at running on my own, that's what I'll do...'

Mile 5 - 'why am I on my own?!??!! Why can't I find a pace that matches with someone... anyone... Ooooh look... I've done 5 miles! Okay... I'll aim for doing 8 miles, there's a bit where I can cut off a couple of miles and I'll head that way'

Mile 5.5 - 'sure that cut off must be soon...  weird... I don't recognise this bit...'

Mile 6 - 'damn it! Missed the bloody cut off... now I have to run 10 miles.  Oooh, I can hear someone running behind me... don't look round... don't look... *looks*... he's matching my rhythm... okay, that's okay... it's kinda relaxing... one... two... three... four...'

Mile 7 - 'We've been running together for about a mile, is there a protocol about chatting?! I guess I should.  Right... it is officially about time we started to chat' *chats and does best 'I can keep this up for ages' face*

Mile 8 - 'Surely we must be there soon... must keep up pace... can't slow down... this is so tiring... my knee hurts... I'm a sweaty blob...' *keeps up perky chatting*

Mile 9 - 'YES!  Only a mile to go!  I AM AWESOME!!!  Stay cool... don't let other running bloke know that death was imminent a mile ago... YES!!!  GO ME!!'

Mile 9.5 - 'Oh good grief, I have to run up some steps right before the end... I don't know that my legs can do it' *carries on chatting and attempts to bound up steps enthusiastically whilst begging them not to give way*

Mile 10 - 'WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!  I did it!!  Jeez the sweat is going in my eyes... that stings... I stink... my hair is a frizzy mess... my sweat patches have sweat patches... Oh, what's that running bloke?  Same again next Sunday?  Ach... why the heck not'

*chats for a bit before collapsing into the car to glug down an entire bottle of water in less time than it takes to question sanity for inflicting another hot sweaty run on self*

Post-run - 'Shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea, shower, tea...'

And that is the delight of a long run!  Managed to maintain the pace I'd like to do for the half marathon I'm running next month.  Am not *checks self* dead.  And all is well!  Hooray!

*happy dances*

Geeky stats stuff

Distance:	9.81 mi
Time:	1:27:41
Avg Pace:	8:56 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	76 ft