Play that funky music, White boy!

     This was the tune that popped in my head during a portion of my 16.5 miler this morning :) I was in desperate need of some music but my I-Pod pulled the white screen, no-buttons-working stunt on me on Tuesday! I was left to attempt running the scheduled 7 miles (on Tuesday) without any music and it turned out that it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. But I knew 16 would be a lot tougher so I grabbed my phone and set Pandora to Big Boi's radio station in hopes it would get me through this morning! The first 6 miles were GREAT! The new music was just what I needed to keep me entertained... until it stopped working! I had to run the next 8 or so miles, the hardest part of the run, without music, GAH! I have always ran to music up to this point. It definitely messed with my head. The remaining miles dragged on and I felt like I was never going to get home. Mentally I was beat but physically I felt good! I had decided to mix some Prolong into my water bottle (ask me for more info about that amazing product!) to see how well it would work for me... Love it! I felt energized and strong. Usually by mile 6, I have to take one of my GU gel packs, but not today! I was feeling physically strong until mile 9 or 10 and didn't want that to change so I had my GU. I'm not even sure that this helped because by mile 11 all I could think about was quitting.  I couldn't get into a good mental rhythm without my music. I was desperately wishing I had a running buddy with me this morning, someone to help push me through the fast approaching wall I was about to hit. There is a turn on this route that always tricks me! When I hit it, I always think I am so much closer to home than I am :( At this point, I started to make small goals for myself... just get to the next stop light or driveway. Each goal was .25 mile to .5 miles away. This was working well until mile 13 when it felt like someone grabbed a hold of my shirt as I was trying to run forward. My feet felt as if they each weighted twenty pounds and my legs were on fire. Their she was... the "wall!" I smacked so hard into her that I almost fell over backwards ;) I literally had to drag my feet inch by inch down the last 2 mile stretch of the route. I was telling myself I was light as a feather or that I was flying, lol, but nothing was working! This time my goal was just to make it the next twenty feet, then the next twenty, and so on. I could have not been more relieved to see my apartment complex up ahead! I had survived yet another PR :) 16.68 miles is the furthest I have ever ran... woohoo!

     Although I had set a PR, I was a little disappointed about how it went. It made me start to doubt my ability to run 26.2 miles! But with the help of my friends, I was reassured that I would be just fine :) Not all of our runs can be great and its the tough ones that we learn the most from! So as much as I wish this run went a lot smoother, Ive actually have learned a great deal. This coming week my long run is tapered down to 12 miles while my weekly runs increase to 5, 8, and 5 :) I'm excited to get this week started. Hopefully I will gain tons of momentum and confidence to carry me into next week's training!

NOTES of the DAY:
* Temperature: 78 degrees
*Song of the Day: "I'm a Thug" by Trick Daddy ;)
*Tip of the Day: Try Prolong while you are running or cycling! It helps sustain performance with dual-source carbohydrates and electrolytes. It has a 2:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio with ultra pure whey protein isolate helps reduce muscle breakdown during exercise.
*Quote of the Day: "Sometimes, when I'm racing, the thing that keeps my mind off the discomfort I am feeling is the story I will tell about it when I'm finished."