Though the swelling in my leg had receeded quite a bit, there was still a little tenderness and a slight bump on my leg. I was unsure what I would face once I got on the road.
Today, the weather was f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s! It started a bit cool (32 degrees), but warmed up to a nice 70 plus over the course of the day.
About mile 15-ish I was greeted by Roxy Wishum and Michelle Bond of Montgomery. They came out to run with a few miles with me and keep me company. I was glad for it. They were both very nice people and though my pace slowed, it was a good thing. I think I needed the extra little break to allow my body to catch up.
Great to meet you both if you are reading this!
I learned something new today about my body that I am going to confirm in the coming days. Because of the desire to nurse my injury, I went to a 20 minutes of running and 2 minutes of walking pattern. This, in the last few hours went to a 9 minutes running, 1 minute walking pattern. This left me very fresh at the end of the day and nicely fueled and hydrated. It may be the magic formula for me!
All in all I had a great day! 50 miles in a slow, but steady 8:38. I am not far behind my target for Day 12. Since we took a rest day yesterday, I will not take a rest day on Monday. This will put us within a day's run of being on schedule. We allowed for three "Murphy's Law" days, so if I can get to Day 20 or so and not lose more time, we are right on target!
Here is my post run wrap up!
Tomorrow, Selma and heading to the Mississippi border!
Thank you, Ed, for your kindness in slowing for our pace and for the mention of Michelle and me on your blog. I am amazed! We really thought you would be limping along and in need of some encouragement, but you were cruising. I am confident that you will reach your goal of the west coast and that you will make new friends along the way as well as raise funds and awareness for two great charities. You said several times this morning that "anybody could run across America or complete an Ironman". Maybe. But few are willing to work to be strong enough and fewer still have the courage to begin such a journey. Run strong and we will spread the word.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Ed and the best part of the day from my perspective, someone who could NEVER run 50 miles, was the discovery of your "magic formula".
ReplyDeleteSoooo happy to hear your injury did not put you back too far and keep up the incredible work.
Ed,
ReplyDeleteExcellent regroup and push ahead! Take care of the cankle until it returns to an ankle!
Mark
Ed!
ReplyDeleteKeep on pushing hard. Ice and elevate after run and don't forget to foam roll. Listen to your body and take care now! Team Ed!
Judy, SF