Eleven-miler sights and smells

Prep Work:  I poured some 0-calorie Powerade into my handheld bottle and stuck it in the freezer.  Warm Powerade or any beverage other than tea and coffee don't sound good to me.  It was going to be an 11-miler today.  I would hate to drink some hot Powerade, particularly toward the end of my run. 
My Ultimate Direction bottle held up pretty well in the freezer.  Just right before my run, I chowed down 1/5 of my PowerBar and top the bottle up with more Powerade.  

The Goal.  To finish 11 miles today with mostly 11+something minutes/mile pace. 
 
The Run.  I shall spare the minute details. I completed 11 miles today.  It was a rough few miles at the start because I was just so tired.  I ran a lot of loops around the Main Street area and hit quite a number of slopes, both uphill and downhill. It was 11-miles of pure running. I didn't stop to tell Keith "hi." Didn't stop to use the restroom. Didn't stop to enjoy the GU gels. I just ran and ran and ran.

In Tune With My Senses.  I saw deer startled, dodged, and jumped. I saw squirrels scurrying. I saw spent daffodils, blooming azaleas, dogwood (my favorite tree), and purple Irises. I heard birds chirping, dogs barking, rustling of oak leaves on the ground, my feet pounding the gravel pavement, the swishing and swashing at a self-serve car wash and someone blowing the grass off the driveway. I smell horses' piss, laundry in the dryer, breakfast cooking at Molly's Diner and freshly mowed grass.  I tasted my salty lips. GU pineapple and vanilla bean gels (they both tasted great and I am not even a vanilla flavored fan.) and lime flavored zero-calorie Powerade.

By the Numbers.
11:30.31
11:35.17
11:39.80
11:46.71
11:42.10
12:00.02
11:42.31
12:23.20
11:46.65
11:42.61
12:19.34
Total was 11 miles in 2 hrs 10 minutes.(average 11:50 pace)

 

I Feel.  Great but a tad tired. Gonna eat some good breakfast and drink some chocolate milk. :) 

Me - post-11 miles

 

How was your run this weekend? What did you see/smell/taste/hear/feel? Do share. 

Have a great Sunday and a fantastic week ahead.