Mike vs. Hell: We'll call it a draw.

Saturday was the long awaited 18.85 mile Run from hell. Let me tell you, it was hell. They made us run two laps up in the clouds instead of the usual one to turn a 14 mile run into 18.85. Thanks! We’re so lucky.

I really wanted to conquer the hills and say I was king, but in all honesty, I must consider it a draw. I love hills, and again I showed that of the people I consistently run with, no one can hang on hills with me. They just can’t. It think it’s all about mind frame, and how you approach the bastards. Personally, I just look at each hill, and make it a challenge to get to the top without letting it beat me. But on the second loop around the small roads up there, the hard left turn hill kicked my butt. I stopped and walked the last 10 yards of it, so I didn’t quite conquer the hills, and we’ll have to call this one a draw.
I ended up running the entire thing in about 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is about a 8min 40sec pace. Not my normal run pace, but with these hills I can’t complain at all! Last time I ran a long run at this pace, it was my very first ½ marathon. (Motive 2006), and I ran the race averaging 8:44s.

After the loops up in the clouds of Westlake, we still had to run back on Stratford, and then came 2 miles on the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail. Oh god, please don’t ever make me run that trail at 8:30 am every again. There were so many yahoos on that thing, it was killing me. 4 across, 5 across walking with baby strollers, mid-walker, mid-joggers, regular runners, retired communities out for their Sunday stroll. At one point, as we’re up by Zilker where that water fountain is and the train goes by, I looked down from the top of that hill, and there were so many people on the trail, it looked like ACL fest had just let out and everyone was leaving Auditorium shores. It was insane.

I guess I’m kind of spoiled because there have been a few Mondays now when we’ve met at 5:30 to run, and we’ve complained : “Man, the trail is crowded today” when we spot 10, maybe 15 people over a 30 min span! Ha!

After the run, went to Barton Springs for a well deserved 20 minute soak, and then over to Giss’s for some a great Migas plate.

Naps, naps and more naps were interrupted only by several early evening frosty beers at BSS with Kerry.