Daylong runner's high after new PDR

WOW.

I am still in shock that I was able to roll out of bed at 4:55 a.m. and hit the dark and dewy trail at 5:20 a.m. (okay, so my alarm started going off at 4:45 and I almost didn't get up).

I ran a new PDR of 15 miles! It took me 2:36:53. 1,587 calories burned; 10:27 avg pace.

Man, those last two miles were painful, but up until that point I was feeling totally awesome. I finished with an incredible runner's high -- how could you not after running 15 miles before 8 a.m.?

I ran smart, sipping water throughout and eating a Clif Shot about halfway through.

I've found the gel is key to feeling good after the run. The past four weeks I've done 4 long runs of 10, 11, 13.1 and 15 miles. The 10- and 15-milers I ate a gel during and felt great after. The 11- and 13.1-milers I drank water and a little Gatorade, no gel, and felt sick afterwards. After one run I almost passed out, and the other I actually threw up about a half hour after I finished.

So I've come to the conclusion that gels are my savior.

Back to the run... I was a little nervous leaving before sunrise. I clipped my flashing red bike light to my shirt just so cars would for sure see me. The funny thing is I didn't even see any cars at that hour, ha.

Once I got on the trail, the sun was up, but my mind was racing with possible rapist attacker scenarios. Young girl alone on a deserted trail with no one in sight at dawn... could be a recipe for disaster.

My imagination truly went wild, as I pictured a biker coming up from behind me and knocking me down to attack me. My plan was to hit him over the head with my water bottle and race into the tall grass to the right of the trail, hopefully running to a house or some nearby building and screaming for help. I figured the tall grass would slow him down on a bike.

And if you don't think that's crazy, I'm ashamed to admit I then started thinking about possible scenarios with knives, guns and even with them chaining me to the railroad track. Yes, I am psychotic.

So I think I should just invest in some pepper spray to put my mind at ease if I'm going to do any more early morning long runs.

And I hope I will, indeed, have the discipline to run early from here on out. Yesterday I tried to head out for my 15 miles at 9 a.m. and it was just Way. Too. Hot. And humid. I turned around and headed home less than a mile out. There is no way I would have survived. And today, I can't imagine starting any later than I did and surviving. Wisconsin does not get a whole lot of hot humid weather, but August is the one month when we get a little bit of it. It's times like these that I am thankful I don't live in Florida (although throughout the rest of the year I am ready to pick up and move there at any given moment!).