Yowza!!

That's all I can say after this weeks long run.  It was only one mile longer than last week, but wow was it hard.  Last week I felt so great out there running the whole time so it was a little bit disheartening to be out there and really feel the challenge.  I think there were a lot of reasons why this run was so much harder.

I haven't been sleeping very well because for some reason both kids have been waking up at night more than usual.  With Constantine I understand that he can't turn himself over so he wakes up a little and calls for me to turn him.  I usually don't get frustrated doing it because I can't imagine not being able to get comfortable on your own.  Lately though it has been more frequent, which gets hard.  Aurelia has just been really restless.  I am trying to figure out a way to get her to sleep better without needing me to help her back to sleep so often.  This isn't really easy (as I'm sure other mom's know) and I am definitely not the cry-it-out kind of mom.

I also switched up my workout schedule since it was raining so hard on Wednesday.  I still ran, but did 3 miles instead of 6.  I actually love running in the rain, but it is hard here because the roads get really bad when they are wet.  So, I ended up doing 6 miles the next day, closer to my long run than usual.  It was also pretty hot and sunny when I did my long run, which definitely makes it harder for me.  The biggest thing was the route that I chose to do.

Again, like last week, I wanted to take it easy and do something more flat.  I mapped my run to Henniker along a road that I know well, then back to Hillsborough on a road along a river because (here is my genius thinking) I thought it would be more flat.  I was so wrong!  This run was unbelievably beautiful, through countryside, then the town of Henniker, then along the river, but man was it hard.  The road back to Hillsborough was extremely hilly and, since I didn't know it, it felt like it would go on forever.  At first when I came to another hill I found myself laughing out loud at how wrong I was, then later I actually started to get mad at myself.  What was I thinking!  It really was beautiful though so I tried to ignore my pain and enjoy the views.  It is really important to me to not push myself too hard because I want to stay strong and healthy to take care of my kids.  When I do these long runs I go slow and enjoy them, which is why I was annoyed with myself for not planning better and choosing a less hilly run.

Oh well, live and learn.  On the up-side I had Dom and the kids meet me in Hillsborough at the icecream place in town, which was awesome.  I finished my run by running up behind them walking.  Constantine was all excited saying "Mommy have good run?  Long run, Mommy!  Nice job!  Go eat icecream!"  Could he be any more cute?.  They brought Gatorade for me, which I really needed, then we had some delicious icecream.  We give C the tiniest little bites of it to keep his lungs safe, but he still loves it.  It was a great end to my most challenging run yet (by far).