The Epic Run and the Long Run.

I gave fair warning.  This is mostly a journal of miles.  Actual miles.  Not the metaphorical kind.  Those will be there as well, and perhaps when the quest for 100 reaches its conclusion the focus will shift from actual miles to the metaphorical world as mileage on the pavement takes a back seat to the mileage of life.  But for now lets dive into Friday night's run (which was nearly epic) and Sunday's impending  completed Long Run.

I'm in the zone right now.  I feel good, motivation is high, and I'm killing it.  In fact, for January I have already surpassed my highest monthly mileage by about 30 miles. So Friday night, I hit an 8 mile run.  2 laps around the armory and then the climb and decent on Walnut.  When I started my journey toward a marathon The run on Walnut was my first real run.   And it was three miles.  And that three miles was momentous for me.    It was an achievement of some significance for a couple of reasons:

• It was my longest run ever.  
• It was 1 mile longer than I had intended (more on pushing the limits soon).
• It was my first step to becoming a "runner".  

I had spent most of my life believing running was something I simply could not do.  I went through high school watching a fair portion of my friends participate in Cross County, and the idea held a lot of appeal for me, but I held myself back.  I believed I could not do this because of ankle issues, which are legit.  However, I have learned this is an excuse.  

I left home that day, and went for the 1.5 miles out and 1.5 miles back.  At the completion of that run I thought to myself, "Oh hell yes!!!  I can do this."  I don't think I saw myself eventually hitting marathon distance at that time.  I only saw the fact I had done it.  And that's where it all began.  

Now here I am, three years later, and a three mile run barely seems worth the time and effort.  I do not say this to brag or shame others for the same effort, I say this to point out my frame of mind.  Its completely different.  

Now, on to the Nearly Epic 8 miler.  The climb up Walnut (from the beginning of Walnut up to Ridgewood School) is about 3 miles of uphill running.  There are many runs under my belt where during that climb I would stop to walk, or my run pace would slow to what equates to a walk.  But Friday night I was in the zone.  And I was cruising at a good clip.

Just as a side note, I do not compare myself to any other person.  No comparisons of pace or distance.  I am me, and I am exceptionally happy with that.  So if you are reading this and wondering, "What constitutes a good clip?", its a pace that is faster than normal and feels comfortable.

So there I was, facing a fairly decent headwind, climbing a 3 mile hill, and feeling amazing.  I love that feeling.  The fabled Runner's High.  It doesn't happen every run, and of course the absence of this does not equate to a Bad Run.  This was a great run, and ended up posting some of my best splits ever (but the tailwind, when it applied, probably accounts for some of that). I finished Friday's run with good feeling, strong legs, and really high morale.

Sunday's run was good.  20 miles around Eureka.  It wasn't epic, nor was it bad.  At some points it was downright tough.  I fueled pretty well throughout the day, and felt like I had the appropriate run snacks stashed in my hydration pack.  And off I went.  I had orignially planned a specific route, with had me doing two large loops around town to end around 14 or 15 at the armory, and planned to finish the remaining miles by self-induced torture of making the laps there.  But mid-run I changed my mind and took a different route, which had me back at the armory at mile 18.

At mile 15/16 however, I hit the wall.  I don't know what really the trigger was.  Again, I had snacks and water.  So if I were to put a "trigger" to it, I realized at that point it was all up hill and then the dreaded armory laps.  And I felt defeated.  Mental defeat quickly translates to legs which feel leaden, whether or not they are actually tired.  And the long haul up I Street was indeed a long haul.

Once the wall has been hit, its difficult to recover from that.  Its totally a mental game.  I am fully aware of this.  However, being aware and actually dealing with it first hand are two very separate things.  So, the pace slowed dramatically.  And the desire to be done was high.  However, I ignored any little thought of calling it quits early.  This was not an option.

20 miles concluded at 3 hours 33 minutes.  Very acceptable time given the distance.  Of course, I would love to be ahead of that.  But I'm also perfectly happy with having accomplished it.  My last 20 miler was back in October on the South Jetty.  Jetty runs (north or South) rank among some of my favorite running routes.  And I will be out there again soon I'm sure.

But in the mean time, I'll continue on.  I'll press harder and farther.  The end of May isn't that far away.