Not So Pretty

I slept terribly last night and didn't get up as early as planned. Finally got myself out of the house around 7:00 am, just before the rest of the house was waking up. I have yet another Friday off due to this afternoon's "family fun day" at daycare - Sam's last day. There will be a bounce house and a magician and some other fun stuff for the kids. Sam always enjoys it.

Since we are always juggling our long runs around here, the plan was for me to get in my 20 today so Ryan could get his in tomorrow. I felt a bit off from the get-go but attributed it to lack of sleep and hoped for the best. My plan was to run 3 Snowplug loops plus a little extra to get in the additional mileage. Except, at about 3.5 miles, this is what I found...

If you zoom in on the photo, you can just see a white blaze at the top of the overgrown raspberry brambles and other crap. Yup, that's the trail. Lovely, eh? Thank goodness I had on my calf compression sleeves. I slowly made my way through the mess, but decided there was no way I was going to subject myself to that another two times. Thinking I was going to be coming by the house every 6 miles or so, I had only brought three gels, so I knew I would have to get back to the house to reload. I decided to run out to Head of Tides and back, hoping that would get me 10+ miles before I returned home to load my pack back up again.

The trail out to Head of Tides was littered with mushrooms. Large areas with the bright yellow "coral" mushrooms, and this pretty patch of brilliant red mushrooms too. I had to stop to take a photo. So beautiful set against the green moss, and extra bright on an overcast morning. 

Things were pretty slick out in the woods and along the bog bridges, and it was slow going on some of that singletrack. Not to mention, it was seriously high humidity. I got back to the house at 10.8 miles and was soaked. I also kind of felt like crap. I texted Ryan to let him know how it was going. He asked if I was sure I was done. I said, no, I was at least going to do the river and back for 16. 

I took a short break, used the bathroom, gagged down a fig newton and a few dried strawberries and headed back out. It was a slow go, with my legs and stomach not cooperating. I took advantage of the pretty view out along the Heath with the cotton sedge blowing in the breeze to stop for a bit. Ugh. Only 2 miles to go! It was not pretty, but I got in 16.5 miles in 3:00. I honestly did not have the energy to keep going, so I am just going to call it good enough for the way I was feeling. Tomorrow is another day. And before then, I really think I need to get some ice cream ;)