Endurathon 25k a/k/a I hate hills

I really had no business running this bad boy.  Since the Marine Corps Marathon in late October, my only over-10 mile run was the craptastic San Antonio Rock N Roll HM, and I have lately been running no more than 9 mile runs - as flat as possible.  And, after registering awhile back, I did not really think about any preparations - until last night when I wad drinking a glass of wine and eating a piece of pizza and thought "what about the weather? what am I wearing? do I have honey gels? is my Garmin charged?  it IS 15.5 miles of hellatious hills - what am I thinking?!" 

Yep, way to rock it, Sal.  But, I headed out to the hills of Bulverde this morning and put one foot in front of the other and repeated that for 15.5 miles.  And it was tough.  It's really a challenging course - 'rolling' (e.g. EVIL) hills for the first 8 miles, then LONG stretches of flat along a road that extends FOREVER.  At least it wasn't brutally cold/windy, as it has been in the past, and I managed to bring it in a minute or so faster than last year.

Here's the evidence:

My butt running uphill - my eyes were probably salted shut by this point (um, hydration would have been good prior planning, too).

(that's me up there to the right of the white SUV in a blue jacket, red shirt, and black skirt - trying to crest the hill)

And enjoying a downhill.

Tomorrow, I will hurt. 

Thanks to Tom Lake for the pics.