run #87

How much: 12
How long: 2:36:08 (13:01 pace)
Where: lakefront
When: Yesterday, 5:50am/ 73 degrees
July miles: 33.00
Total 2014 miles: 316.00

I drove over to Montrose and started from there. Using my handy little "run Chicago" app, I knew that to do and out-and-back 12 mile run, I'd be running just south of Navy Pier. I was well aware of the likelihood of rain.

At about 2 miles it started sprinkling. At 4, rain. No biggie, I've run in the rain. I decided to walk a bit at the end of each mile, just a minute or a by more when needed. I had very few thoughts while running, which is strange for me, although I can say that about from about miles 5 through 8 I was not enjoying the run and felt very annoyed. Nothing in particular except sometimes that concrete area between Oak Street and Ohio Street Beaches is oppressive.

So I get back to the North Ave boathouse (Castaway's bar) where the fleet feet volunteers have their Gatorade and water station. I stopped to take gu #2 and to stretch. I ran into Elsa from Chicago Endurance Sports and chatted a bit. (Elsa is on the front page of their website, she's the one with her arms up in the air. Anyway, it was at this point that the monsoon came. This picture does it no justice:



I waited a bit, but it never slowed. Elsa went first--she was going almost as far north as me. I left a minute or so later. Well...ain't nuthin to it but to do it. 4 more miles, let's go.

It was raining so hard that it was hard to see and even breathe normally. I became very aware of the inner sounds of my breathing. My clothes started sudsing as they sometimes do in the driving rain. Residue laundry detergent, I guess. My earphones started to go in and out. I was on the western path (having crossed back over via the North Ave pedestrian bridge) and the puddles were deep. I was soaked thru and thru. I started tasting this awful taste in my mouth and realized it was the stuff I put in my hair (from the day before) running into my mouth. Yuck.

I got tired running through the puddles, and the grass was too muddy and slippery to try to run in. But eventually at about Belmont the rain started to let up. It sorta felt like the damage was done, I'd expended a lot of extra energy in those puddles (yes, IN.) I proceeded with a run/walk method of no particular run/walk ratio. Just when I felt like it.

As I approached Irving Park I saw Elsa at the water fountain--she was done and smiling. We waived and nodded. I, too, would finish soon.

And I did.

And that was that.


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