15 miles! This is the first of my "firsts" until the marathon. This is the hardest physical challenge that I have faced. I know that when I run 18 miles, 15 won't seem so bad . .etc . . .but TODAY is the only day that I know and I ran 15 miles! After mile 7 as usual, my legs felt heavy and I had to drag them the remaining 8 miles. I don't think 20 ounces is enough because I was REALLY thirsty when I got home. I put in one of the NUUN hydration tablets in my water bottle. This is where I had GU:
15 minutes before run mile 5 mile 9 mile 13
It was the Strawberry/Banana GU and didn't taste bad with the lemon flavored hydration tablet.
Came home and walked a quarter of a mile with my wife (I downed a 20 ounce GATORADE). Layed on the chair on the back patio and drank chocolate milk, ate an apple and a breakfast bar . .all the while taking turns icing different parts of my body. My right thigh really is bruised but I don't think that it is a running injury. I think I banged it on Friday when I was on a roller coaster with my kids!
Mentally I really started having doubts that #1 I was going to finish this 15 mile run without stopping (and I didn't except to duck behind some trees in the park! Not cool huh? )and #2 that I will be able to finish a marathon.
I started at 6:00AM and got home at 8:23AM . .not sure how many minute mile that is but I am sure it isn't a land speed record. At about mile 2 I ran in the fog for several miles. It was incredible. I felt like I was running on top of a mountain in the clouds (like when I climbed Devil's Head in Colorado). While I was in the fog (literally) the Van Morrison song "In The Garden" came on and I was struck by this line: "felt the presence of the youth of eternal summers in the garden." I know what that feels like and will understand it even more when I die and run in the garden. I have 85 songs on my marathon playlist and simply hit "shuffle" at the beginning of my run. I had no idea what song what going to be next but knew that GOD had whatever one it was picked out for me for that EXACT spot in my run. I don't believe in random.
I want to be that "old guy" that the young guys say, 'I want to be like that old guy" when I get old. Make sense? Speaking of old guys. I saw 2 old guys today watering their lawns while smoking cigarettes. I don't judge. I envy. . . .
More later . . .when some of this soaks in and my legs and thighs quit screaming.
This is it . . .
