A killer 33km

Today's run started off great and turned into a killer. Me and my running buddies wanted to get another long run in before the Jerusalem Marathon. After some scheduling issues, we decided today would be the day. We were shooting for a run in the range of 32km.

We look super fast, don't we? Photo courtesy of Jonny

Heading out at about 8:20 AM, we right away felt the unseasonable heat, and knew it would only get hotter. We ran out of RBS, across Road 10 and up 375. We made our first water stop, at 10km at the gas station at Tzomet Ha'Elah. 

From there we continued on, planning to turn up at Zeqa Junction, and run up another 2-2.5km, and back down to the 38, adding 4-5km to the total. The reason is that the perimeter run we were doing, the perimeter of the whole Bet Shemesh, is only about 28 or so km, so we wanted to add to it.

We took a bottle of water with us from Tzomet Ha'Elah and dropped it at Tzomet Azeqa, for when we would return from our detour.

After that we ran up Zechariya and back down continuing on to the entrance to Bet Shemesh. At 25km, when we arrived at the Paz gas station at the entrance to the city we took another water break.

5 minutes for Gilad Shalit. Photo courtesy of Jonny

Continuing on, we hooked around the BIG mall, hooking up with the end of Road 10, and ran up Road 10. At the main entrance to the city, out side of the BIG mall, there was the 5 minute protest for Gilad Shalit holding up traffic.

Road 10 was difficult. It was a killer. It is all uphill, it was hot and dry, and there was strong headwind against us. At this point I was struggling.

At Zanoach we decided to take a detour instead of continuing on Road 10. We cut through Zanoach and ran along a beautiful soft trail that took us to the edge of RBS B, right before the junction where it meets up with RBS A. The only problem with this detour is that it was a serious uphill. It was a struggle, and I had to walk the rockier parts, but we conquered it.

From there we split up, and I ran home along Nahal Kishon, finishing at the shopping center at 33km. There I bought myself a Freezee and walked another block home, nursing my drink.

I think my Vibram FiveFinger Bikilas have seen their last days and last runs. I have been getting holes around the toe area. So far thye have been small and I have been able to ignore them. Today they got much bigger. Pebbles were getting in and disturbing me, but even worse, for about the last 4km I could feel a pinching on one of my toes every time I stepped down, and it hurt increasingly more as it went on. Turns out that the hole by that toe had gotten pretty large, and my toe was scraped up and bleeding from the striking against the pavement.

Good thing my sis is bringing my new pair next week!