15.

ok, so i had never run 15 and hadn't run 14 in three weeks, but man o man, that hurt. for the first time it was my feet bothering me, and my socks were bloody from blisters by the time I got home.

it took me forever to get out of the house this morning. i just wasn't convinced that my setup was right. i realized that the water fountains on the path are still turned off and 15 is too far to run on one bottle, so i was borrowing Ben's camelback, which i was sure i'd regret, but ended up not minding at all. filled it with the gleukos stuff, threw two clif shots in the pocket, keys, lip stuff, road id, molly... an hour later, i was off.

running the lakefront path in snow is awesome. until mile 12 or so. when running anywhere isn't quite awesome for me yet.

i followed my plan of walk every 5 to grab a clif shot and drink but i found it hard. the first 5 was fine. by the end of the second 5 i was super thirsty. then the plan broke down. i allowed myself an extra stop at the shed aquarium - around mile 12.5 - where i drank too much and walked a little too long and had trouble coming back. then i missed both long lights getting to and from grant park and it seemed i missed every light in the loop. meh. but i was hurtin' good by the Shed and counting down blocks from Wells. i told myself i wouldn't care about my time on this run since it was just getting back in the swing of long runs after vaca, but at 3:10 i'm somewhat pleased. just 10 min behind where I want to be after 3 weeks off from step-up long runs. not bad.

the good news, though, is that the Eugene Marathon has water stops every 2 mi or so, so maybe it's time to do gel every 5 and drink every 2. with drinks every 2mi, i'm wondering whether i'll even need to carry a bottle for the race.

i'm very glad that i mixed a bottle of perpetuem before i left for the run. i should make a habit of that. best recovery drink ever.

nothing.

When our guide lit a cigarette, I was thankful. That smell of smoke curling around my nose was a welcomed departure from the nothing I had smelled for hours before- it had substance to it, I knew it was there.

In all the romanticism of the desert-- the dunes stretching into the distance and the camel trains flashing colors against a backdrop of red sand-- nothing could have prepared me for what was really out there. Nothing. No smells, no plants. The contours of the sand carved out by a scentless, thin breeze, the lonely scarab beetle making its way across the sand. The ever-changing landscape rendering maps useless and the camel trails erased daily by the shifting sands. No paths, no signs, no reliable landmarks, no passers-by, no shiny oases, no birds, no sounds. Nothing.

As a city girl I found the silence and the stars unsettling, sleep took its time finding me. It's an odd experience, a disorienting mix of vacancies that I doubt you'd find elsewhere. A vacation for my senses.

13. no, i mean 14.

i was supposed to run 13. Holly convinced me that the lakefront path was worth a shot this time of year, saying there are few bikers and it's plowed. well, she was right. i saw a total of three bikers the whole time and- credit where credit is due - it was a group of three on MTB's, 2 2CC kits and 1 met life. i half expected to see the Klug's out there, but I didn't. Running south, though, the trail was black ice and i found myself having to run in the snow to avoid falling. By the northbound trip it was mostly melted.

i miscalculated in my head, though, and the run from my house to the path down to 43rd and back was 14. it was slower than i had hoped - 3 hours- and with no stoplights on the path i've got no excuse for that beyond knocking off maybe 5 min for the elevator ride and dog chores. it was ok until around McCormick place northbound, where i got really bored. i guess i'm used to seeing street traffic. the last two miles just plain sucked.

the sight of the day was a tin with a big slice of deep dish pizza on a bench on Jackson that when i ran by again 2 1/2 hours later was half eaten.

26 miles for the week. 12 weeks till the marathon.