23 Miles Saturday, 9 Sunday.....getting there, slowly but surely

                                      I needed to report about my run this weekend. As always, doubt sets in during the week about whether I would ever be able to do this and I wake up Saturday morning with a huge knot in my stomach. The words, 'Will I be able to do this?' keeps coming up in my head and I promptly shut it down. I had most things ready the night before and slipped out of my apartment at 5:10am. The whole city slept and only a few cars were seen on the dark streets of Connecticut Avenue heading north. It felt absolutely peaceful and looked beautiful watching the sun rise over the next 2 hours. I was listening to an audiobook for the first half of my run and it made the time pass by so fast. Before I knew it, it was 11 miles in and I was sailing. At one point I passed this farmer's fruit stand and bought one giant peach and ate it while running. It was just what I needed after the repeated artificial flavors in the GUs began to get old. My path took me downtown where the 50th Anniversary King Speech was being celebrated. People were beginning to gather and I took some pictures. My course had to be adjusted some due to the street closures but I kept it strong. I ran from DC to Maryland and back to DC and instead of 22 miles I did 23 miles. I had miscalculated the milage and with all the street closures I was still 2 miles form home when I hit 23 miles. I know I could have easily run that extra 2 miles but did not want to jeopardize 'the mission'. So I made change at a pharmacy and got on the bus, all sweaty and smelly. I think back know and surely I must have looked odd. But I sat there glowing, in complete bliss knowing I had just run 23 miles....my longest ever.
                                        In some 50K training schedules, like mine, a second long run is called for the next day. I had thought it was 8 miles, which is what it's been for the past few weeks, but this time it was 10!! I decided to run 9 seeing as I had run 23 and not 22 the day before, and that way the total milage would be true to the planned schedule. I was worried that the next day I'd be in total pain and run like an injured duck, but I was actually faster than my normal pace for this distance. I took on some hills pretty powerfully too and was flying on the second half of my run.
                                      I am not sure what made my healing process much faster. I think these long runs in a row allow your body to heal faster. I always take a LONG hot soak right after any long runs, and both my hubby (who is also a runner) and I swear by the long hot soak. I took a hot soak after both runs and I felt perfect in the evening. Not even sleepy, not lethargic, not weak the way I use to after a long run. So it occurred to me that yes, I must be getting stronger. I do drink tons of water all day long and always carry a bottle with me everywhere and I also drink about 30oz of self-made veggie/fruit juice daily, without fail. Anyway, I am a teacher and start school back up today and feel just fine. I have a few other things to share about my finding about the right shoe to share, but since it's time for me to get ready for work, it will have to wait. Have a great run! see you later.

Baths...a runner's BEST friend

               There is nothing I look forward to more after my long runs than a long hot bath. I am convinced that my recovery time is cut in half by the mere fact that I do this every week. Another thing I do to help with recovery is wear my leg compression sleeves after my runs and it feels awesome to have this slightly snug fabric around my lower leg. If I had a particularly grueling run I will heat up my rice-in-a sock bag in the microwave for 1.5 minutes and place it on any part that hurts before I go to bed for 10-20 minutes. So far, I can boast no injuries in my running journey. What do you do to heal faster after (or before) long runs?