Race Run Distance - 12km

I did it! I ran 12km!

I set out for a 10km run, and then thought that it was just silly to not do the extra distance and hit that 12km mark.  So off I went.

By the second kilometre I felt my knee object. I ignored it.  It's been awhile since my knee hurt, and I know my form has to be right to keep it from hurting, so I thought I could easily avoid the pain.  The pain would rear its ugly head from time to time, and I would remind myself to put my foot down right, to flex the foot, bend the knee, run with good form and I'll be fine.  By the 6km turnaround point it was screaming at me, and I allowed myself to walk for 2 minutes. On the way in, the pain got worse but I was more determined to keep running, so there I am waddling like a duck, my knee and hip stiffening up, my ankles aching from doing more work than they should, my back taking the strain as I lean forward to keep momentum.

I'm pretty sure I'd've laughed at someone running with this form, but hey, there wasn't anyone else out here and I was GOING TO RUN 12KM!!

A few times I thought I might give myself permission to walk for just a little bit, but then a car would come by, and I didn't want to be seen walking!  And then I saw the light at the end of the tunnel!  There was only 2km to go!  I was moving slow, and I knew it, so I gave myself 20 minutes to finish off the last leg of the run. And good thing too, I used nearly all of those 20 minutes.  Part of it was taken up with me being chased by a very aggressive dog (I'm going to have to speak to Vicki about that mutt of hers!) and I had to stop and face up to him, yell at him to go home, then walk so he didn't think "Yum! Lunch is running!"

I made it back to start/finish line in 1 hour 17 minutes, and I was damned impressed with that.  I was planning a race pace of 1 hour 15 minutes, but now I might have to up the ante!  Or, alternatively, I might have to double-check my distance - maybe I didn't run 12km after all! :)

It's the next morning and I am still stiff in the legs, the right one in particular, but I have run my race distance! I know I can do it no matter what!