The price of progress

My legs hurt. My throat is horse. My toes are purple. And my insides cramped up something awful.

Why?

I ran 10 miles (at least) and didn't get water. Heck, food didn't even enter my body until 3:00 in the afternoon. I am going to try and run a 10 miler once a week. However, it has become painfully obvious that I'm going to have to start carrying water with me. That sucks.
I don't like to carry things.

Well, how about one of those kind that you wear on your back?
Besides the fact that I think they look stupid...same problem...it's a pain.
Water, food...it's all a pain.

Here's where I went...

Down American River to Sweetwater. Followed that along and almost stopped on the second major hill. I was sweating so bad that it was dripping into my eyes. The sweat is salty and stings. Then I realized something. I am not just running. I am TRAINING. What a huge difference that made to my attitude. I began pretending that there was a trainer running next to me, giving me pointers. I started using my hands as a visual way to lift my legs. With the palms facing the sky I raised and lowered them in perfect sync with my legs. Lift! Stand up straight. Don't fumble up the mountain...control yourself. Use your strength.

It worked. Suddenly I didn't feel so defeated. I made it up every hill that I tried today. And let me tell you...there were some major f-in hills. Sorry for that. But sometimes you gotta get your point across!
I ran all the way to third gate. I even sprinted to the gate so as to make it there within the hour. 58 minutes. I ran right past a CDF crew. I didn't stop, but slowed down a bit on the way back. This time one of the guys from the crew said hi. All of them stopped what they were doing to look at me. I returned the greeting and ran off back up the hill toward the next stop sign. That would be Cascade Trail. I've never been on this road before from this direction, but I knew that it goes by Thea's house.

WATER. Or so I hoped.

Nice road. Beautiful homes. I saw a friend (Lisa) and waved. She was doing a burn pile with her husband.
I ran past a sign that read "Black Oak Campground". Once I got to Thea's I was so thirsty. I was planning on yelling at her for living on such a crazy steep hill with an even crazier steep driveway, but she wasn't home. I searched all around her house for a hose, but when I found it lying in a steel bucket for the dogs...I changed my mind.

I figured it was only about 3 more miles to my house. I could make it. And I did, but literally wiped out.

On the bright side, I've lost some weight, my butt is tight and I'm proud of my progress. No matter how painful it gets.

This is the way it goes, I guess.