Run #2.2 - 10 Miles & the GCG

Only two runs into this round of half-marathon training and I am already on a double digit run! I found myself in Portland again, so I was really looking forward to getting in the miles in a new place with new sights. Wow. Um, it was sooo windy! And cold! The cold went away, as it always does once you start running, but the wind stayed pretty strong.  I was making a big loop through downtown Portland, crossing the Willamette River a total of 6 times. The river crossing was when the wind was really noticeable - yet super fun when it was at my back just moving me along! Surprisingly after running by the Saturday Market three times the smell didn't make me sick! The first time it was a little touch and go, but by round three none of the smells bothered me. Hallelujah! And the dogs, oh the dogs. I saw so many beautiful, huge dogs walking around. And there was the man that was solid silver. I thought I saw an old school boom box with him. Maybe he was going to be a robot? I didn't stop to find out. The sights were certainly not like the ones I have at home. I saw tons of runners that were legit (and not fakers like Stink Eye!). And then there were signs that we don't have at home.  For instance, there was a sign about suicide with a suicide prevention hotline number on it just at the start of one of the bridges. And then there were signs like this along the river:

Yeah, water where I live is clean and you can swim in it!

The big change for my training with this run is that for the first time ever on a training run, and only the second time in my life (the first being the Princess Half with Lesley), I ran with a partner! Biker Boy through on his shoes and decided to join me. What was going to be a mile or so turned into 3, which then resulted in 5.3 miles! Um, yeah - how annoying is he?? He isn't a runner! He is BIKER Boy. And who was the one that was dying and wanting to pause and occasionally walk? ME! The runner! Not fair!

Part of my issue was that my quads were still killing me from the 15K I just did in Portland last weekend. I have never had so many hills all at once, so my legs were still recovering. Once Biker Boy left me to get his oil changed I finished the last 5 miles on my own. I was actually back in my normal groove, so they went by easier and faster than the first 5. Easier, that is, until I hit 7.88 miles. There I was, just over half way across the Hawthorn Bridge when I got my first ever leg cramp during a run. My right calf just screamed at me. I tried to run it out, but had to stop and just stretch. At first it was so bad that I thought I was done, but never one to give up, I kept going until I hit 10 full miles! In the end I finished the 10 miles in 1:50 ... which is 3 minutes faster than I finished the Shamrock 15K, so it was good, but I could do better.

WAIT, I left out the biggest part of this run ... did you see the story about the exploding Dr. Pepper? The Dr. Pepper was part of the ingredients (along with my Diet Pepsi) for the rum we had with dinner the night before. I sort of forgot to be normal and hydrate with water, and instead went out for 10 miles after passing out the night before due to rum consumption. Imagine how great I could be if I could just say No!

After the run I was starving. I needed food, and I knew the exact place to satisfy my hunger ... the Grilled Cheese Grill! I have been to the original location twice, so this time we went to the new Double-Decker bus! It was so yummy. I had the Gabby - which was 4 types of cheese on some bread made in a local Portland bakery. Of course I insisted we sit on the top deck, because who sits on the bottom level of a double-decker bus?? Coming down the stairs after 10 miles and a leg cramp, well, it wasn't pretty, okay? But it was totally worth it. If you get to Portland, hit up a Grilled Cheese Grill!  *And if you made it this far, I never did share that Biker Boy upgraded to BF status. So yeah, there go my plans of being the forever single girl. Good thing BB likes me! *