Saturday, July 29, 2006

Who Moved my Capitol?


Because if the Capitol was still there, then I wouldn't have missed the part about running up and around the back of it, now would I? I wouldn't have missed .75 miles of today's awesome not-quite-16-mile run, now would I?

As I may have alluded to in my last post, I was a teensy bit worried about today's run. What with never having run more than 13 miles before, and that included a 20-minute-porta-potty layover. And there was last Saturday's 10-miler where I gave up for no apparent reason. So, I was a bit tremulous about this morning.

Until...a little vixen named a. maria suggested I think of it as three five-mile runs. As she so cogently put it: "Even you can run five miles!"

Brilliance.

So, last night I marked up the hand with where the five mile intervals were. Then I ran all the numbers and printed out some charts and graphs, showing times for 5, 10, and 15 miles and a total time of 3:12 for 16 miles. Which would be a nice 12 min./mile pace, and get me a 5:14 marathon time, after which I could die happy.

Blah, blah, long story short: I started out with my friend The Other Jen, and her friend Kim, but they were running intervals. I couldn't find my other other friends, Christy and her friend Suzanne, but they are too fast for me anyhow (yes, you are!). So, blah blah blah, I ended up running alone, but behind a guy who was holding a nice steady pace.

We ran by the Iwo Jima memorial, over the Key bridge, through Georgetown, down by the river, by the Kennedy Center, all along the National Mall, and then, oopsie ... where did everyone go? I finally said hello to my pacer, James, and told him he was pacing me, and thanks! Right by the center of the photo, above, we kinda lost the group. Hmmm...where could they be?? Oh well, onward!

To water stop 9.7 miles where there were frozen grapes. Better. Than. Sex. Frozen. Grapes.

On toward Haine's Point (we all remember Haine's point, right?):



We did a loop around the point—what a beautiful day, beautiful scenery, the river, golfers, triathletes doing the loop—I'm not sure why, but running that beautiful flat point is like going through the bowels of hell. Maybe it's just the memories. By now James and I were running together and had actually exchanged a few words ... he works on some committee that oversees homeland security. (Now I have to kill all of you, har-de-har ...)

James was fading on the point. He was slowing down, and we took a few longish walk breaks. But ... I didn't need to!! Awesomeness. I was speeding up (or was it just relative?). I hung with him til the end of the point, and he wanted to walk again and I said sayonara, cuz I guess I had used him up and was now tossing him aside like I do with so many other me ... nevermind.

Next stop was the 14th street bridge, another reminder of hell. It's mile 20 of the MCM. But this time, I actually ran up the hill to reach it, and then ran over it, and this time I ran all the way back to the Pentagon—about three miles, with no walking.

Give me the award already, and clear the podium.

So, it wasn't 15.75 miles, it was 15. And I didn't finish in 3:12, I finished in 3:29. But I could have gone longer. I didn't need all the walk breaks I took. I didn't want to quit. Not once. I even ran up a hill at mile 13 ... past other people, other male people, even.

This, this is how we're gonna run the MCM, people.

This is how we're gonna do it.

22 comments:

Dori said...

You're truly awesome! Great job.

I remember Haine's Point from your race and also from a previous training run of yours. In fact, RBK (I think that's Reebok) has an ad in Runner's World where a guy is running past this sculpture and I immediately recognized it as The Awakening at Haine's Point, thanks to you. I'm glad you didn't crop out his thumb, otherwise it would look as if he was giving us the finger!

MNFirefly said...

Way to go! I LOVE the pics!

Anonymous said...

Awesome run! Can you send some of that positive energy my way, please?

David said...

Oh my lawdy. You're just amazing. Keep this up and the Marines will be sending a recruiter by your castle to enlist you. I can't say whether they'll try anything else. You know how men can be.

Anonymous said...

You rock like a rocking thing! Me, I blew out my knee on Haynes Point and hobbled the last three miles like a pegleg pirage ("Yaargh!" said I.)

Frozen grapes, though? Made it totally worthwhile.

Knee still killing me. Stupid knee.

Rae said...

GREAT JOB! You are so going to rock MCM!!!

Anonymous said...

Excellent run! I'm so impressed...Haine's Point is pure unequivocal hell and my undoing at last year's MCM. You go girl.

Bolder said...

that's a great route.

i'll take your word for it on the frozen grapes, and stick with what i know.

Triseverance said...

Great job, confidence is so huge and it sounds like you have it working for you. sweet.

Anonymous said...

woo hoo, now that is AWESOME

Mmem said...

That is AWESOME RUNNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You rock!

Neese said...

yeeeah jeannie!! i just tried frozen grapes for the first time the other day, LOVE them! -- i'm so impressed with your 15 mile run, way to go girl!

IronWaddler said...

Great run!!! The grapes sound good.

21st Century Mom said...

Way to go Jeanne! I wish I had had you by my side today - I would have had a much better time (both meanings).

Unknown said...

hey, here's some math for your monday morning:

your bad self + frozen grapes = awesomeness

Donald said...

Nice job with the run. I hadn't read that race report before - I died a slow death at Haines Point one year at the MCM also. Here's hoping you run right through it.

Anonymous said...

One of the more entertaining run reports I've read in a while. congratulations on the progress.

Nic said...

Jeanne, that's so great! Congrats.

For the record, I detest the 14th street bridge, too. I'll take Memorial any day.

Oh, I miss Memorial Bridge. Will you please wave to it for me the next time you see it? Thanks. :)

TriBoomer a.k.a. Brian said...

Great job and fab report!

Stay tuned...

Anonymous said...

Great job and great report. I love the photos. I like how you added the very important details of how you felt - like not wanting to quit and feeling like you could have run more. AWESOME.

Jank said...

I've been dying to find that statue ever since i caught the reebok ad! Thanks!

And what a great run!

Anonymous said...

The guy in that Reebok ad at Hanes Point is actually from D.C. and he is a world class runner. I wonder if he ever runs by there? That would be ironic.