My plan was to do 20 miles at the gym today - I felt like I had had an easy couple of weeks (running-wise) and wanted to just do it and move on. Also a couple of days ago my weather thing said that today's high was going to be 59, and I knew I wanted to run earlier in the day and I really really don't like running outside when it's cold. Plus, the gym has potties and water and is climate-controlled, and it's always easy to stop early or go longer when doing so doesn't make you any farther from or closer to the intended ending spot. I had read about Toby's 18 miles on a treadmill last week and liked the way she broke up the run into groups of 6. So I planned to do 4 sets of 5 miles. The first set was fine (watched Jerseylicious or something), and afterward I ate a gel (Jet Blackberry?). It was a little bit gross. As I started on the second set (listened to itunes) I opened up the plastic water bottle I had filled with a can of Diet Dr. Pepper, and the cap exploded off and made a big popping sound (kind of like when my little brothers use dry ice to explode plastic water bottles) and hit me in the face and then landed a few treadmills over. I was really embarrassed and my face hurt, but I acted like it was no big deal. Then about a mile later I was trying to get my top layer out of the cup holder where I had put it and somehow I tripped and my shoe made a big skidding sound and I grabbed onto the treadmill to brace myself and luckily hit the stop button but really was so close to falling down. That was embarrassing too. I had some kind of tropical gel and a bunch of water after the second set because I was so thirsty, but then I had a sideache and had to walk for a few minutes. I knew I didn't have time to do the full 20 miles because of how late I had started (I needed to get home in time for Eric to do his run before our evening plans), but I figured that if I did 5+2 I'd have 35 miles for the week. The third set didn't feel as good as the second set (watched an episode of Friday Night Lights), and during the last mile my feet started to hurt. I went back to music for the last 2 miles after the third set and felt a little more motivated, but I was glad to be done. I think I could have done 3 more miles, but I think it would have been uncomfortable. Eric says that maybe I need to change my socks for long runs - I just run in these little cotton-ish socks that came in a set from Costco. I like them because they never come off my heels, but when I run more than about 8 miles I get kind of a frictiony pain on the balls of my feet (on the skin, not inside the foot, and it's like they're blistering or like I've been slapping them down, and when it's happening I feel like it would feel better if I ran without shoes on). I remember feeling like that after a half marathon in my Launches a couple of years ago, so I don't think it's the Altras, and I don't think I need new insoles because I felt the same pain/discomfort the first time I ran in them. Any ideas? Maybe I just need to put in more time on my feet to get used to it?
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