That's right. 20 miles. DONE. 20 long, slow, and painful miles. DONE. Check it off, cross it out, chew it up and spit it out....it's finished. I don't want to see it again....well, at least for another 2 weeks when I tackle my next 20 miler.
As of Friday night, I still wasn't sure about my route. But, I finally landed on a destination, the place of dwelling for my parental units. I didn't want to do an out and back, or a 10 mile circle (2xs)....and I figured that running to an actual destination might be a little more motivating. I was right...and I certainly needed some extra motivation.
By mile 10, as I passed through my old hometown, my quads and calves were already a'burnin. But, I remember thinking that a few years ago I never would have thought of 10 miles as being a fairly easy half-way point...crazy. In order to help with the hydration problems I ran into last weekend, I ended up buying a new water bottle with a hand strap. It worked out really well...and it even has a pouch for a Gu! I downed my first Gu at around mile 6. Unfortunately, by about mile 15 I knew I was going to run out of water/Gatorade. I was cool with it though because I thought my hydration team was planning to leave the hydration headquarters a little early to meet me along the route with some fresh hydration. However....there was a slight communication breakdown and the hydration team had no plans of meeting me. But....I kept telling myself that any minute they would pull up along side of me and give me a VERY cold bottle of Gatorade. Just the thought kept me moving...a little. :)
I had another Gu at around the 15 mile mark as I was trying to ration my drink. By mile 18 I was fresh out of the drink and I was hurtin....BAD. The thought of stopping crossed my mind...then I picked up that thought, looked at its ugly face, and spit on it. 2 miles. 2 MILES. Nothing was stopping me. NOTHING.
Before I knew it, I had made it to the parental headquarters. I crawled inside, they made me an ice bath and poured me some chocolate milk. I was good to go.
It was an amazing, and VERY painful run. Those last 2 miles were quite an experience. I'm convinced that you have to be comfortable with reaching a point in your mental and physical state in which you aren't thinking, you aren't seeing, and you aren't hurting....you are just moving. You have no idea how you are moving, but you are. Somehow, your feet continue to pick themselves up as you reach closer to the finish line. Your brain is no longer in control....something else takes over. I don't know what it is and I don't really know how to explain it. It's an odd experience, yet one that I can't wait to feel again at the next finish line.
20 miles ain't no joke. 26.2....here I come.
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