I ran to North Dakota and back yesterday.
20 miles is a long way to run.
Ok, it wasn't quite to North Dakota, but it felt like it.
In an odd way, 20 miles is longer than a marathon. Particularly when it's 20 miles to no where.
My local bike shop had an assisted run on a trail in the western suburbs. By assistance they meant a jug of water, gatorade and and aide box every 3 or so miles. At one point I was hoping assistance meant a wheel chair, or at least a mile marker. My mind did the normal, why am I doing this? It is so stupid to run. If God intended man to run 26 miles he wouldn't have given him a brain (that's my favorite gripe on hills). Somebody needs a little sugar I think. So, I indulged in the box of candy, and that helped. I met other runners enroute, but realized your first marathon is such a mental game it is easier, at least for me, to run alone. That was until I hit the wall. I wasn't sure what to make of "the wall". It is real, and it will bounce you right out of the race without so much as a sigh. This is why God gave me Tridaddy, aka Mrs. Trimama. TD had the infinite wisdom to know this was going to be a big run towards both the goal of TCM and IMFL. So, he enlisted Hyphen Girl to baby sit and met me at mile 18 to run in the final 2. Mile 18 to 19 was simply awful. So, TD did the unusual and talked. He rarely talks when we run together. He relayed the story of Kahuna's swim and some going's on at other blogs. My brain was bonking a little, and it was hard to listen. But some part of my brain heard him, and that part kept my legs moving underneath me. We crossed the bridge with a mile to go and suddenly my legs felt freer. My brain re engaged the process. We gave quite a kick at the end. 3:00:17 for the full 20. Now I know what 20 feels like, I think I can shave some time from some of those miles, but we'll see. The goal right now is to make it to St. Paul.
We stopped in at the running store and drank some water, ate a cookie and felt like another 6 would be no problem. I also bought some socks because I foolishly didn't listen to the little voice in my head that warned against the socks with the hole in the ankle. I have no skin left there and I didn't feel it until that last step of mile 20.
I arrived at the start of the run at sun rise and when I pulled into the parking lot these two triathletes were just entering the lake. I snapped the picture and hoped it turned out. I was happy with it, so it's the desktop for the week--a little inspiration.
Have a good one!