Saturday in Vermont I planned on doing a 14 mile run. I used my favorite website, mapmyrun.com to plan out a route exactly from our cottage. Just after 9 miles into the run, I knew something was amiss, because I couldn't seem to find the turnoff to the road that would take me back home.
I doubled back to read the sign I'd ignored: "GPS Wrong. Season Road. Turn around." Ouch, painful. The run ended up being 18.4 miles.
The elevation profile says it all too... the red lines are 5% grade up-hills. That is steep. I was suffering on the outbound run, but paced myself, because it was only (supposed to be) 14 miles. The downhill was so steep too I that I had to break myself from flying forward into the muddy/icy roads. On the return journey, those hills hurt even worse... especially because it lasted over 2 miles. I don't think I've experienced that run that intense...ever. If a human emotion could be experienced on a run, I felt it. Except, great running wisdom will tell you it is pretty impossible to both cry and run at the same time, and going up a 5% grade, breathing is more important.
At one point, I turned to look at a farm next to the road, where the horses all stood next to the fence watching me (perplexed, if a horse can look perplexed). Maybe this falls under the hallucination category, but I swear the horses whispered, "Go Amy! You can do it! Keep going!"
Despite a little more adventure than I bargained for, this was one of the most beautiful runs ever. Though chilly in the shade, the weather was sunny and perfect (especially for mid February, Vermont). And those hills...? Bring 'em!!
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