Run #5.4 - It Got UGLY

As I write this I am feeling very blah. I'll probably be very absent from the blog/internet world this week if things continue as they are ..... and here's how it relates to my run!

Sunday morning Biker Boy fixed us some breakfast, then while watching Millionaire Matchmaker we prepared for our 9 mile run. The plan was 3 loops through the river/Saturday Market area of downtown Portland. The weather was warmer than I'm used to, so we filled up a cooler with ice cold water bottles and lathered on the sunblock. Soon enough we were downtown and starting. BB did a good job of hanging out at a 10:30ish pace with me for a while, but then I backed off to let him go closer to his own pace, which is a lot faster than mine. Then my legs felt tight. Nothing too horrible, but I did have to stop and just kind of try to massage them and pretend I was a human foam roller.  Back on my way and things were good. Until....

Those of you familiar with Portland know of the Steel Bridge. I was almost half way across when it happened. I don't even know what "IT" is. I couldn't breathe. I was certain I was going down. My torso was one huge cramp. I had to fight back the tears. BB tried to help me calm down and be able to breathe, but inside (okay, and outside!) I was completely freaking out. I knew the pain that I had. I've experienced it 3 times before. I was certain I was getting another kidney stone. My thoughts were: how will I run 9 miles like this? why didn't I bring my "just in case" pain pills with me? how will I drive home 3 hours in this pain? am I going to have to go to a Portland ER? I want my mommy!

I opted to continue running to the other side of the river and then decide if I needed Biker Boy to go get the car and get me or not. It was hard. I continued on until we finished our first loop. Mentally I really wanted those 9 miles. I hate feeling like a failure. But at the same time, if you've never had a kidney stone, my grandma told me during my first one, "If you can survive this then childbirth is going to be a breeze." She should know. She had 5 children and multiple kidney stones. I hated to have to quit, but I was only able to do one 3 mile loop. I was very happy we had all of that cold water waiting for us at the car. The water in my handheld was luke warm by now, so the cold water was a pleasant gift at the end!

So that was my run. Later that afternoon the pain hit again. Right now I'm not feeling "normal", so I've got my water here and I'm just praying that I can somehow miraculously prevent this from being a stone. And if it is, I kind of need it to hit now. I mean can you imagine if I decide to pass it during the half marathon on the 24th??? Um, no thanks!