15.5 miles

So, it's not the full 16, but I'll take it. After opening the front door and confronting a downpour, I did 6 miles inside, watching "Clean House" and the news (so sad to hear about Steve Irwin) . Then, after about 70 minutes, I couldn't handle the TM anymore and headed outside, rain or not. I figured I'd do at least 8 and if need be, finish up the last two on the TM. The worst that could happen was that I'd get wet, and I was already soaked through pretty much, despite the best efforts of the tiny little fan in the playroom. But I ended up pretty much stretching out the outside portion as long as I could and just calling it a day after 9.5 miles. My pace averaged 11:00 on the run parts, and I ended up with .5 walking in the intervals. I could have finished up the last .5 I think, but when I went by the house, both kids were sitting in the front window watching for me and I couldn't bear to circle the block again like it would have taken. They looked like the little kids in the Cat in the Hat books, and it was funny and a bit sad all at the same time. Poor babies were worried about their crazy momma running around in the rain.

The good parts of the run:

• I got it mostly done. Again, not the full amount, but considering my longest run to date is just over 14, I think I did a decent percentage increase.
• No blisters. Despite being pretty much soaked by the time I hit the corner by my house, and having wet feet for the entire 1:48 I was out, there were no blisters. Nor did the toes bump along the inside of my shoe like they did last time.
• Temperature was cool. Yeah, that may have been because of the driving rain... but I'll take it.
• Hydration. I was able to refill the water bottle before I headed out, and it lasted until right before I hit the house, so I ended up taking 40 oz of gatorade/water mix over the entire 2:58 I was in motion.
• Pacing. Walk breaks came at just the right time, both on the TM and outside. I started off at faster than 10:45 for the first few miles, then slowed down to about 11:20ish for the second half of the outside run. But the last mile was clocked at 10:49, so I'm happy about that.

The bad:

• The rain. Totaly serves me right for being a lazy-ass yesterday. It *never* stopped, and at about mile 6, it actually got heavier and more steady.
• The truck that splashed me. OK, he probably could not have avoided it, but I really don't think he needed to be in the lane next to the sidewalk and I'm quite sure he didn't need to speed up to create the biggest wake possible.
• The soggy shoes. Not comfortable at all. Nope. Squishy shoes for 9 miles is not fun.
• The right knee. It's been randomly bugging me the last two days, since Saturday's run, mostly when I get up from sitting for a while. It was barking for a while mid-run, but it seems to have settled down toward the end. I'll have to keep an eye on it and make sure I'm not favoring the other leg and sending me off-balance.

The Ugly:

• Froggies! One squishy one and another little teeny tiny one that crossed the sidewalk in front of me. I don't like frogs.
• Sidewalks that are covered with mud. Slippery, slippery, slippery and dangerous. I wasn't worried about the mud, but just about losing traction and biting it. Heaven knows I'm due for a fall, and just my luck I'd do it when I'd end up with my face in the mud and a frog in my path.
  

So that's it. I got bath, took an awesome soak in the tub with half a marathon bubble bar from Lush (must, must get more), and then fixed a breakfast of pb smoothie (250 calories), 1/2 blueberry bagel w/PB (150 calories) and a granola bar (140 calories), so I'm pretty well re-fueled. Later, slaying the laundry beast and getting ready for school/work again.