Saturday, September 6, 2008. Start time: a late 7:30ish. The location: White Rock Lake. The goal: 18 glorious miles.
Got outta town this weekend to see my beloved Sox play a pair against the Rangers. And since the longest run in our program was scheduled for the same weekend, we took the show on the road. Didn't get to the site of the run until much later than I think any of us had hoped, as the sun was already peeking out of the trees and the temps were starting to rise, but the location couldn't have been nicer. As the name suggests, the park surrounds a lake with a great trail/bike path that just happens to be 9 miles around. Parked one car one one side of the lake, the other car on the far side, and stashed water and Gatorade at each (and let me add a plug here: G2 is some good shite...get your electrolytes and very few calories all in one) and set off. Guy we were staying with, helluva good runner but not used to doing this kind of distance, had real trouble with his knee after mile 6 and called it after the first lap of the lake. (When we said our goodbyes Sunday night, he still couldn't bend the knee without great pain.) My GF cruised her way through about 13 miles before backing off because of pain in her knee. I managed to plug along behind them (sometimes WAAAAY behind them) and eventually knocked off the entire 18. As I said elsewhere, it wasn't pretty and it definitely wasn't fast, but it was done. Thankfully, no injuries so far, just a little sore yesterday. And even as bad as it was at the end (too hot, too humid, could not drink enough water even though there were water fountains everywhere in the park (I told you this was a helluva park), and too much walking vs. running), this was the first time I looked my 1mi lap times and realized I should actually be able to make the San Antone cutoff with some real room to spare if I keep the training up and avoid injury.
As you might imagine, the feeding portion of the trip was not so much, but foodwise wasn't so terrible: split a salad and a chicken sandwich Friday lunch, had a dog and one beer at the game that night (SOX WIN!!), had a cheeseburger Saturday afternoon (I'd earned it that morning), and had a nice flanksteak meal at a Latin themed joint that night, a small breakfast sandwich Sunday morning, a dog at the game that afternoon (SOX WIN!!), and then a plate of BBQ that night. All in all, not so bad considering we were "on vacation". Downfall was the cerveza: one (and only one) at Friday's game, one before we left the house Saturday night, two with Saturday's dinner, three more at the pub after that, and then three at the game Sunday. You do the math. But let me tell you, that beer Saturday night after the 18 was one of the best beers I've ever had. Can't wait to sample a cerveza after 26.2.
(Had to fly home Monday a.m., so weigh in will come tomorrow.)
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