FIVE weeks.
Training this summer has been surprisingly refreshing. I feel strong, confident...like a runner!
Today's 18 mile training run was the longest (scariest) yet.
It came on one of the first chilly days of the year. Welcome, fall!!
As usual, the first 10 miles sailed by quickly and pretty easily.
I LOVE the Columbus running community. Especially on the trail.
Most everyone offers a wave, a nod, a "good morning!" It makes me very happy.
Hello, running world!
I stopped at 10.5 miles at my prepared bag drop. Ate some Bloks, chugged some Gatorade, and read the comments on my Nike post.
Some made me laugh.
Some got me pumped for the last chunk of the run.
Got ready and set off for the last 7.5 miles. Just half of that down, then turn around and come back. Wait, how far is that? For the LIFE of me, I could not figure out half of 7.5 miles, add it to 10.5 to know when I was supposed to turn around. "Well, I guess it's almost 8, so i'll go almost 4 miles before I turn around. What's that, turn around at 14 and almost 1/2??"
HOW FAR DO I RUN??
Lesson: math during a run is hard.
After obsessing for almost a half hour about what half of 7.5 is, I figured it out and got to the turn around point. Almost immediately, I felt lightning in my left knee. It scared me. Most zings of pain are bearable and will just go away after a while. But this was different. It made me stop in my tracks. I stretched. Maybe this muscle will help. Maybe this one. I stretched again. I must have had some sort of look of terror on my face because a sweet runner ran by and asked, "You ok??"
Defense mode kicked in, "I am, thanks!"
(I LOVE the Columbus running community.)
I decided to walk a little. Whoa. What is this!??
Walked a few minutes and finally said out loud, "Stop it! Stop this!"
My friend Jake once shared his pain philosophy with me.
You have two options: you can either keep running and the pain will go away or you can keep running and you'll eventually be done.
So I clapped my hands and started running again. Guess what, it went away.
Miles 12-14 were my enemies today. But I kept going and the odometer eventually rolled over to 15. I felt a new charge. Oh man! I'm only 3 miles from my Gatorade (oh, and the finish!).
I got to 17, I couldn't stop smiling like a loon. Holy cow. I'm just a mile away from 18 miles! 18!!
I was still waiting for some sort of "wall" to hit me. But I got to the Gatorade tree with no incident. And still with the goofy smile.
The marathon is within reach, you guys.
I have no doubt that I will cross that finish line.
I AM in doubt as to what condition I'll be in when I cross.
But it is within reach.
And I cannot wait.
