15 in 15 Run - Day 7(Aug 23) - Fredericksburg to Lake Anna

I started out the day rummaging through my bag and realizing I had no shorts to wear! Since we were headed back to Fredericksburg anyway, I decided to go to Walmart and see what I could find. In Walmart, I looked for technical wicking shorts. The only women's shorts they had were stamped with local high school mascots and were way too short  - chafe city! The men's shorts were too big! (Although I tried on a pair of UVA shorts, which I would have bought just to irritate my VA Tech husband - hehe) Finally, in the boys section I found shorts that fit just right (well, except boys must not have hips) and they were only $4!

So day 7 started in the parking lot of the Walmart shopping center at around 10am. I ran west out of Fredericksburg on Route 3, mainly by running through parking lots of the various shopping centers. At one point, I ran by a Crab Shack. Eww! I thought I was going to puke! Rotten seafood and running don't mix. I was feeling hot and kept trying to roll up my sleeves. That didn't work, so Steve bought a pair of scissors and cut off the sleeves for me! Finally, we turn off of Route 3 and onto Old Plank Rd. This was the worst road of the whole day - but I'm starting to get used to it; lots of traffic and no shoulder. It was also in the sun and the temperature was starting to rise. Fortunately, it never did get as hot as yesterday.


When I first started running, I was feeling pretty good, so I tried to keep the pace up. I wanted to be done with 10 miles before 12:30pm. I almost made it. By that point, I had turned off of Old Plank Rd. and onto Catharpin. This was a nicer road, less travelled, but I was still pretty hot. Physically, I was starting to struggle. My stomach and bowels just didn't feel right. Fortunately, this were short waves that passed pretty quickly when I slowed down. The hardest miles were from about mile 5 to mile 16. After that, the road became more shaded, and I seemed to turn a corner on regaining my strength.

At one point, I was able to run down the length of the telephone poles where the electric company had fashioned a dirt road. I put my trail shoes on for that section and had to dodge some pretty big mudholes. I was feeling some rubbing of my toes and changed shoes at about mile 16. Now, it was a matter of counting down the miles. Fortunately, a lot of this section was shaded. I would call the terrain rolling hills. Nothing really big, but some big enough that I decided to walk up them.

My goal was to finish by 5pm and that's what I used to keep me focused. But I was a little disheartened when as I ran by the entrance station to the park, the sign said the lake closed at 4pm. So much for my after run swim. Even today, with no running partner, I never felt alone. So many people have come into my life to support me and cheer me on in whatever way they can. I never imagined the outpouring of love, friendship and prayers going up on my behalf and I am overwhelmed.

As I finished, Lindsey and I walked on a trail in the park for about 1/2 mile. Today, I felt better during the run and worst after the run. I also realized that I am on the verge of a threshold. I am about to cross the halfway mark in this run. At some point soon, there will come a time when I will have run beyond what I could possibly train for, when the physical limitations of my body are going to start to show, and the run becomes more mental than physical. That's when I covet your prayers and your support the most. When I am in a valley, I know that someone is on the mountain top praying for me, and continuing to lift me up as on wings of eagles, so that I can run and not grow weary, that I can walk and not faint.

Until tomorrow...