I felt like I ate all week last week to prepare for this run. This was going to be my get serious run. I was going to pretend as if this was the race week. On Friday night, I ate the biggest plate of spagetti ever. It was huge. I actually ate all of it. Then there was a men's Bible study after dinner. I went over to Church and they were eating ribs for their dinner. I normally eat with the family and then go over for the Bible Study at 7:15. When I arrived, they asked if I could eat some ribs. Sure I could use ribs. So I then ate a few ribs (only about 3 or 4).
After the Bible study I went on-line and pulled together the course for the 18 mile course. Heather and I had driven the course the other day and it was hilly. When your car has to use addition RPM to get up the hill then it is hilly. So in making my course I wanted to make it as hilly as possible. I wanted it to be more hilly than the actual race. Google has a great tool to pull together your course. I printed the course and went through it with Heather so she would know where I was at all time in case she needed to find me. The course started at Lipscomb University and would finish at my parents house in Oakhill.
I didn't have the right gear to run. Heather was so nice to run to Target saturday morning while I was running to get me some new running shorts and a running shirt. I also needed an IPOD holder to go on my arm. She also stopped by Fleet Feet here in Murfreesboro and asked them what I need for food (the goo) when running a long run. They recommended some goo. She then dropped them off at the office.
I needed to finish my run by 3:30 so I would have 30 minutes to shower and get ready to go to White House for their Homecoming. So I was under a time crunch. That is why I was running to my parent's house. I could just shower and get ready there.
I left the office and drove up to Lipscomb. Before leaving the office I got 6 bottles of water for every three miles. I had the 3 mile markers marked on my print out. I went to each 3 mile marker and hid a water and some goo to eat. This way when I was running I would stop and get the water and goo for the run.
After dropping all the water off I got over to Lipscomb. I never thought I would have trouble finding a parking spot. There was a baseball game and a softball game going on. I finally found a faculty spot to park in. It was saturday afternoon so I figured I would be ok since school wasn't going on. I was planning to leave my car there and we would pick it up on Sunday when we went to go eat at my parents house after Church.
I ate a peanut butter sandwhich on the ride up to Lipscomb as well as a banana for energy.
After stretching it was time to run. I headed out on Shackleford to Lone Oak, at Lone Oak I turned left away from Green Hills. I took a right on Overhill Drive. They named Overhill Drive that for a reason. It has a large hill on it. I was around mile marker 1 for the large hill. It was a large hill. I took the hill and then turned right on Hillsboro Road and passed through Green Hills. It was fun running where I had grown up. I took a right at Richard Jones Road past the fire station. I remember when I was in elementary school we toured the fire station. I thought it was so cool then. Things you think about when you run. I turned past the recycing center over to Belmont Blvd. I turn left on Belmont Blvd. I ran Belmont Blvd all the way to Belmont University. The first 3 mile marker came up near I-440 and Belmont Blvd. I had a water and got my first taste of the goo. YUCK!! It was not good. Mark had recommended that I put the goo in the water to help with the texture. At each 3 mile marker I planned to walk so that I could get some water and get the goo set up. When I am running the marathon I plan on walking when I get the water as well. The run up to Belmont had a small slope. I didn't notice the slope very much.
Once I got to Belmont Blvd. I headed down Music Row. Music Row was fairly empty except for a few tourist. This is the actual course. I pictured what it would look like the day of the race. I think they'll be a few more people there. As I was running I was drinking the goo and the water. The goo made everything sticky. The water bottle was all sticky and was bothering me. Plus, I figured out that I probably didn't need to get a full water bottle each 3 miles. That is a lot of water. But, maybe as I get further I'll need it.
My next 3 miles (6 mile mark) I picked up the water and goo again. I then took Demonbruen Drive down to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Past the Greyhound Stadium. I took 4th avenue past the Hilton and turned left on Broadway. That was fun. Broadway had a lot happening. Something was going on at the Arena. There was more people there. Not so many I couldn't run. The red lights weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be. The run on Broadway to 8th avenue was a large hill. Yikes. It was so hilly some older people were having a lot of trouble walking down the hill.
A guy caught up with me at 8th avenue. He crossed 8th avenue closer to the business district. I recognized him from a Church. I had seen him at a Church in Nashville, but I didn't put which Church it was. He was energetic. I guess I was at mile 7 or so.
Broadway and West End were hilly all the way to Vanderbilt. I ran to Centennial Park which was the 9 mile marker. Guess what - Another bottle of water. At this point, I was having trouble with sweat dripping down my face into my eyes. My eyes were burning and my contacts were moving around. I have got to consider getting something to keep the sweat from dripping down into my eyes. Do I need a headband? How 80s. I guess that fits the music I am listening to.
I ran to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Building and turned left on the other side of Vanderbilt University. I was passed by a guy that was really pretty quick. After he was a bit ahead of me I tried to keep up with him. It was a loosing battle. I took Wedgewood all the way to Belmont Blvd. Turned right down Belmont Blvd. Around Belmont University I had another water bottle and goo. My stomach is really starting to hurt. Is it from the goo (too much goo) or is it too much water? I was starting to feel it at mile marker 12 (Belmont University). I ran to Lipscomb and cut through Lipscomb running past my old 1st grade classroom. I was just running down memory lane. I got to Maplehurst. At Maplehurst my legs were getting really heavy. I actually walked Maplehurst. Once I got to Lealand I turned right. That was a huge hill. At the top of the hill I was going to be at 15 miles and have another water and goo. So I made sure I ran hard as I could up that hill. I wasn't going fast at all but I did run the hill. At the water and goo were actually good, but my stomach was hurting fairly bad. I ran to my parent's neighborhood which includes numerous hills. I walked some of the last 3 miles and ran the rest. My legs were really getting heavy. I actually got to my parents house with about .3 miles left. I went and ran around in my parents backyard to finish up. That was hard. I wanted to stop early so much, but I didn't.
Heather was very supportative. My stomach was killing me. I was very nausiated. Too much goo? I know I probably drank too much water. I had started late from Lipscomb so I only had 10 minutes to shower and get ready. I had a hard time getting around right after running the 18 miles. I am glad I didn't have my car because I didn't feel that I could drive safely. I showered up and get ready. We ended up running a bit late to White House. That was ok though we got there when we needed to. While riding in the car I actually felt like I was going to loose my lunch. It finally went away about 30 minutes after riding in the car.
On the way home I actually fell asleep. I was worn out. But, I felt so much better than I did when I ran the 16 mile run. I learned a lot from that run and from Mark's advice.
18 miles 3:08:05 10:26 minute miles (including slow downs for water), 2707 calories burned
10 years ago
