Warning, long post! So today, I ran the furthest I have ever run in my entire life - 11.2K (or 7 miles)! And what a run it was! It was dark and so windy with light rain (I almost lost my hat and headphones a few times), I was already feeling sore from Thursday's strength training class and I had never run the distance before! So I was feeling a bit apprehensive. It was a mentally challenging run I found and it was hard to focus my mind from time to time but I eventually got into my groove. I got a stitch when I was running halfway down a really steep hill (my knees were not happy about it either!) too! Even though it was a mentally tough run, especially towards the end, I have learnt a lot on this run about keeping a strong mindset even though you are finding it difficult. Anyway, I ran just over half of the half-marathon distance so that has given me a huge boost of confidence too!
I ran the run using a guided audio run on the Nike Run App/Club thing to power me through (wow that's a lot of the word 'run' in one sentence hahaha) which really helped me! But the audio coach wanted me to up my pace for 2 miles in the middle of the run and slow down for the last 3 miles, so I did even though it felt a bit uncomfortable and I may have pushed myself a bit too far. I slowed down when the coach told me to and it was like all the energy had been sucked out of me. I was more shuffling than running and every step took a lot of effort. What made it worse was the very end of my run was a slow incline up a lot of mini-hills too! So I think I won't push myself quite as much on the faster section of the run next time! I think I might have accidentally done a tempo run during that part of the run, oops!
But the worst bit of the run was blisters! I was about 3K in to my 11.2K run and and I noticed a niggling rub in my left little toe. It came and went but it was a bit uncomfortable and then gradually got worse. Then, when I have 1.5K left to go, the pain in my little toe suddenly rocketed making it quite difficult to run using my normal gait and every step was painful. But stubborn-old me, kept on running (already spent and tired from not pacing myself correctly!) despite the pain and I even upped my pace for the last few hundred metres! I got through that last bit by repeating my mantra 'Greater things are yet to come' over and over again and giving myself a little pep talk! I was so glad when I had finished the run! I had to loosen the laces of my running shoes, I was in so much pain and then I hobbled and limped home on tired legs.
When I got home, I found that my previously bleeding toe had again been bleeding (through the plaster that I had put on that morning to prevent that from happening in the first place, so that still makes no sense!) and next to it, the side of my little toe had the remains of a blister, just raw skin. I'm not saying that my blister de-railed my run, but it is crazy how something so small can really effect your run/race!
The running socks I was wearing are a bit thick and definitely limits the space my toes have in my shoes, so I think I am going to where thinner socks, tape my problem toes on my next long run and go from there and see if that makes any difference. I need to get this sorted for before race day that's for sure and I'm really glad this happened in training and not race day itself!
I also had a sports massage today which felt great for my tired and achy legs! However, I do not recommend doing a 7 mile long run at 5:30AM on 4 and a half hours sleep. As soon as I sat down after finishing my run, I felt my body really needing to sleep and rest but I had to go to church and then straight to the massage session. I got home from my busy day feeling a bit weepy and anxious for no reason at all and I recognized them immediately as tell-tale signs that I was over-tired. So I took a nap and I now feel much better! It's tricky navigating early morning runs and a part-time concert job where the shift finish time is usually around 11:30PM/midnight! It's gotta be done though!
I've got a next milestone run coming up next Friday, my 10 mile long training run! Looking forward to it (again it will be the furthest I have ever run so a bit apprehensive too!) and it's going to be my dress rehearsal run so I can check if all my kit is okay, practice my fueling and hydration strategy, run at 11AM so I can mimic race day and all that jazz! Can't believe the Bath Half is exactly 3 weeks away! 
Update of HM training
Every bone said I couldn’t today. I told them all to get a grip and trotted my final long run before the Bath Half. 👍
Swansea half done and dusted!
First 10 miles, and I'm over the moon!
Magnesium cream, the wonder fix!
