This is insane!!!

Let me start out with Happy New Year!!! I wish everyone a great 2009.
Now that that is done.
OMG, yesterday I ran 12 miles. It's the first time I ran in two weeks. I got sick while visiting my family for the holidays and was still out of it most of last week.
The running group was doing 12 for the up coming Half Marathon at the end of Jan. So some people did 12 and some did 5. I am the only person from my small group of people that is running that race so I did 12 mostly by myself. I did try to recruit a friend to run with me but she had to organize her life that day. So I was on my own.
The first 1.5 miles I ran with the group and then I turned off directly into a hill and a head wind. Now I mentioned I had been sick so the cough was still with me. And I also mentioned not moving for 2 weeks right. Let's just say when I made the turn into the wind that I almost gave up running for good. It was so bad trying to do up hill and against the wind it is almost impossible.
Needless to say I kept going. I ran with the head wind for 3.5 miles. Somewhere in that time I got something in my eye so I was trying to tear but it kept freezing on my face because it was cold. It was probably only mid 40's but with the wind it felt much worse than that.
Finally I was able to turn again and got to run along a busy street so I had to run on the sidewalk. In general, I don't like walking on sidewalks but there are times when it is a must. This was the worse sidewalk I had ever seen. It looked like it had been a part of a war zone. Initially I thought I would be able to make up some time once I left the wind but this sidewalk was so bad that I was going slower than before just so I wouldn't fall down.
I got to the park and was able to have cookies. When you run over 10 the group director puts out food at one of the water stops. Nutter Butters are your friend when you are running. So for a moment I was happy. I grabbed 2 cookies and was off again. This time the sidewalk was better. I finally made it to the turn so that I could run on the street again.
Now I'm on the way back so you would think that I would have a tail wind this time. Well just as luck would have it, the wind changed and I had a head wind again. So yes I am seriously getting pissed and cursing my friend for not wanted to share in my misery. Yeah I know she had an excuse (sorry, reason) for not running with me. But the part you don't understand is she always does the really long runs with me so for me this was completely uncharted territory. I know I'm a big girl and I had music to keep me company but it's not the same as having someone to complain to and still make it through with. Yes that was my moment of whining.
By now it's mile 8 and I'm at the Capitol. I always get lost running around the Capitol. And yes I managed to get confused again. The good news was I was expecting it so I was able to recover quicker than usual.
I finally made it to the trail. It's mile 9.5 and I can smell the finish. For some reason I had convinced myself that the wind would be better on the trail. Boy was I wrong! The trail was awful and the wind was crazy, swirling all around. I ran for awhile, I walked for awhile. Anything to just keep moving. At this point the only thing that kept me going was that's where the car was. Just get back to the car.
I tried running again and a big cold gust of wind tried to push me over. All of the muscles in the lower side of my leg cramped up. I had cramps going in in places I didn't even know I had muscles. I hobbled for a time and finally got the cramps to release but wasn't able to run anymore. So I power walk/limped as best I could for the last mile and a half or so.
I have never been happier to finish running in my life.
The tweak behind my knee came back after I cooled down. I iced it and it's better today.
I think I've lost my mind because I'm already planning when I'm going out again.