Rather than take the Metro to Ballston and finish the journey on foot, I chose to run the route between my office and home that I frequently planned to run in better conditions. As I left, I started to feel a weird pain in my left hip, but after shortening my stride and running on as much cleared sidewalk as I could find, I wamred it up and it was fine.
When I reached Rosslyn, I debated between running on the cleared roads of Route 29 or braving the off-road Custis trail. Still wearing the sweatpants Rob lent me, I found Route 29 too slushy to bear, given the cotton. I opted for the trail and started one of the hardest portions of a run. Over the next 5.5 miles, which took me about an hour, I struggled through two feet of snow. Some parts were driven by walkers and skiers, but none were packed down enough to support 170 pounds coming down one foot at a time, so every step meant plummeting about a foot down into the snow. I came across a few people on the trail, but most of the time was faced with a lot of snow- white almost everywhere I looked. For the most part, I looked down to try to find the best path, but around an hour in, I began climbing a long hill into the gradually setting sun. It was a transfixing experience, and I started to drift away from the conscious act of running and exist more in the state of movement and survival. I was getting tired from the aggregate vertical motion I was putting into my form to step over the snow, and I was hungry. I just wanted to end the run. More than four miles into the trail, when I turned onto the W&OD trail, I began to wander off the trail, instinctively looking for some plowed residential streets so I could have some traction and resume my normal form. I found a street but it was worse off than the trail and I started to run aground emotionally. I realized I had no idea how the streets connected in that part of Arlington, so I got back on the trail and continued on my way. I thought more about how much easier and more fun running will be when the streets are clear, and I stopped minding. I also knew I was close to the end.
When I reached eastern Falls Church, I scrapped the rest of the route on the trail and found the second half of the Park loop plowed. Overjoyed, I picked up speed, making the slogging on the trail that much more dramatically slow. I felt pretty good at that point, and had time not been running out until the Super Bowl started, I would have extended the 12.25 mile run to hit 15 and do a true long run. As I saw my stopwatch inch closer to two hours, I realized I had probably put my body through enough, and that running more after I was exhausted was an invitation for injury and burnout, I decided to finish up when I got home. I stopped at a 7-11 to buy chocolate milk and reached home, my shoelaces too frozen to untie and extract my keys.
The game ended up being a good one, with the game turning on the Saints outplaying Peyton Manning, which I enjoyed. Alex had cooked red beans and rice, which instantly warmed my stomach. The shower, my first with warm water since Friday, felt amazing, and I guzzled the chocolate milk with flourish. The federal government is closed on Monday, which means my office is too. I shall sleep without an alarm and run twice, planning for some sore hips when I wake up. With 75 miles on the schedule for this week, I am starting at a deficit because I planned for 15 on Sunday, but with 12.25 already and 12 in two runs on Monday, I'll be able to average 10 most of the rest of the week. I am mentally enjoying the longer runs, so I don't worry about burnout at this point. In fact, I am looking forward to being able to explore more when my runs are longer and the sun is out later.
Slam Dunk post! I can't blieve you ran 5 miles in 2' of snow. I ran about a half mile yesterday in that stuff and know the defeatist additude that overpowers the brain when you're tired.
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