20 Mile Harbor Run

This past weekend was a whirlwind that included:

• A three-hour bus ride to NYC
• An afternoon searching for a T-Rex at the American Natural History Museum

• Dinner at S’Mac — a restaurant that serves only macaroni and cheese in a dozen variations (brie and figs anyone?)

(This is actually a friend’s cheddar and parm concoction–mine didn’t survive long enough for pictures)

• General shenanigans at Mason Dixon, a bar which boasts its very own mechanical bull 

(oh yes, she did!)

(hard to believe I was dead sober, eh?)

• A 5am bedtime… am I the only one that didn’t know bars are open until 4am in New York?  …ugh…

(sleepy time)

• Copious amounts of coffee
• A tour of the Times Square Toys R Us (it has a ferris wheel inside!)
• And another looong bus ride home. 

And following all of that?  A 20 mile run. 

On Labor Day I woke up bright and early at 6am and headed to the kitchen for my standard pre-run breakfast of oatmeal and banana.   And then I went back to sleep for 3.5 hours.  When I woke again at 9:30 I was groggy, cranky and not exactly chomping at the bit for a run, but then I thought about that mac ‘n cheese (and the Mexican pastries, yes plural, that I’d inhaled at brunch on Saturday) and knew it had to be done.  Before I could think much more about it, I grabbed my new hydration belt, five GUs and headed out the door. 

Since it had been 4 hours since breakfast, I sucked down my first GU on my drive to Patterson Park.  My plan for the run was to start at the park and run towards the harbor, then I would follow the waterfront all the way around to Fort McHenry and double back.  I’d never run down there before, but I felt like I needed a change of scenery if I was going to get this done and I’m so glad that I did. 

The brick and wood plank piers were so much nicer on my knees! 

Though I wanted to, I did not stop for a tour of the coolest submarine ever

Gorgeous, gorgeous day!

The run along the waterfront was not only picturesque, but it held my attention as I really had to watch my footing on the boardwalk planks and around the twists and turns of the piers.  I ran through Highlandtown, Canton, Fells Point, Harbor East, Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Pier Point, Riverside, Locust Point and Fort McHenry.  Phew! 

When I reached Fort McHenry I was actually only at mile 8 and it was the end of the road.  Rather than turn around early and try and make up the miles eleswhere, I decided to do three laps around the fort.  McHenry is a star-shaped fort that is surrounded on three sides by the Chesapeake.  It was where troops defended Baltimore against the British Navy in the War of 1812 — the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner.  The views were amazing.

Before I left the fort, I refilled my two water bottles (the two others were still full of Gatorade).  A mere 5 miles later I was running on empty and desperately searching for a water fountain, a hose, anything other than the nasty Baltimore bay water.  I finally spotted two people wearing official looking lanyards around their necks who took pity on me, allowing me to use the facilities of some private boat club to refill my bottles.  I had taken a salt tablet before I left, but running in the afternoon without shade probably warranted at least 2 or 3 of those babies.  I was feeling ok, but by the end of my 20 miles I had consumed 73oz of fluid(!!). 

Check out my dizzy stagger back to my car when I was done!!

(oopsy…)

My plan was to do a second loop around the park to bring my total milage to 22, but the perimeter of the park had absolutely no shade at 2pm and I was getting crazy hot (and clearly not in top form) so I called it a day. 

I stopped at the grocery for a banana and an orange on the way home and after my ice bath I made a yummy smoothie with spinach and vanilla protein powder.  Later we went out for burgers and ice cream. 🙂

All in all, I say it was a successful holiday weekend!  How was yours?