Will Run for Apple Juice

90 mins.
12 miles

As I just texted Jilane, there was nothing remotely enjoyable about this run. Actually that's not true. Stopping at Einstein's for a coffee and apple juice immediately following was pretty tasty. But otherwise, no, I cannot think of any superlatives to share with you.

I decided to drive out to the river for this long-ish run because I wanted to stay on a soft surface for as much as possible. The only stress fracture I've ever experienced occurred the last time I lived in Atlanta, and I'm convinced it was due less to mileage than to the constant pavement pounding I was doing. After navigating the crowded parking lot at the river (perhaps I should've started earlier than 9am to avoid the dog walkers, baby joggers, etc.), I set off on the dirt loop. Thankfully the sky was overcast, which kept temps in the 70s, but good grief was it humid. I completed one 5k dirt loop, then ran 2 miles of the loop again before breaking off onto Columns Drive. In an earlier post I stated that you could run about 1.5 miles down Columns, but my memory was a tad rusty because it was actually more like 2.5. Fortunately the road is flat and even, and often shaded by the trees (and mansions) on Columns, so it's quite an enjoyable diversion from the trail. I ran out to where it dead-ended at Johnson Ferry, stopped quickly to use the facilities and splash some cold water on my face, then headed back down Columns toward the trail. Once I reached the trail again I only had two miles to go, but my legs were already done and done. The last 15 minutes was a struggle as I just felt so thirsty and fatigued. Should've hydrated better (and by "better" I mean "at all"). Overall a solid effort, but I need to make sure I'm constantly drinking today to facilitate recovery.