Granted, Mr. Run on Sentences and I picked a beefy, hilly course (a stalwart favorite for that distance), but today felt different. I actually - forgive me- felt what happens when the rubber meets the road.
I've said in previous posts how this plan is built on cumulative fatigue, with the idea that long runs feel like the back 14 or 16 miles of the marathon, as opposed to the first 20 or 23 miles. I've got a laundry list of epic latter- mile breakdowns, so today felt like the first real push to work to a strong finish.
I finished mentally strong, having enjoyed the beautiful weather and amusing quips of Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, but definitely felt really tired. And hungry.
You know, my PR from the Philly marathon is getting a bit old, and I'm ready to claim a new on soon. Battling all of the issues I've had in the last 10 miles of the marathon is a training unto itself. Staring down getting rushed to the ER, all of the vomit, the cramps in the chutes that blew a BQ, the heat stroke... It's a mental chore.
But here's the thing, mental toughness - like physical ability - can be built with practice and hard work. I'm learning to treat each long run, each speed session, each mile, with the reverence and love that it deserves. I'm so blessed to lace up each day, and learn how much I can push myself.
I worry, though, that I might not feel so strong and blessed when we get into 60+ mile weeks...
In other news, here's a fun but from last week's Harrisburg Mile. The 93F, oppressively humid, shoe melting mile from hell. Finished 3rd in my age heat at 5:49, which is a great new PR. Shows the track workouts are really helping.
...Or was it running to my parents, Mr. Run on Sentences, and my little pup, Bunk? Might have had something to do with it!
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