I ran with Larry and Wayne this morning. We started at the mouth of Provo Canyon and went up South Fork and back. Wayne and I went a few miles farther than Larry, but we all had a good hard run. My goal today was to get in a 3.5 hour run and 20-ish miles. I made that goal, 3.5 hours and 19.2 miles, but the last 6 miles or so really tested me. About mile 13, coming down South Fork, a very strong and cold head wind suddenly hit us, bringing with it a pretty good snowfall. We were quickly wet and cold. The head wind and snow continued for the rest of the run. First my ears got cold, then my thighs, then my right hip started aching and getting stiff, then my hands got very cold (even with gloves on) and some of my fingers started aching and going numb. With about 3 miles to go I had to stop at Nunn's Park to go to the bathroom. I had slowed so much that Wayne had already pulled way ahead. It was welcome stop for a couple of reasons, one of which was to warm up a bit. For the last few miles my ear plugged up. I had taken to gasping/groaning/moaning with nearly every breath to keep moving, and the plugged ear made it echo through my head. When I finally finished I was soaked to the skin and very cold. I feel much better now that I'm showered and dressed in dry clothes, including a sweater, but I still feel cold and my fingers are chilled. What a great run! It has to help my 50-mile trail run training...although I still feel like my training is on the low side. Oh well, we do the best we can with the cards we're dealt.
| 