20 + 19 = ???
20 miles in 19 degrees = cold thighs, frigid fingers, no chafing, sore hips and buttocks
Yep. That's right. I did my 20 mile long run yesterday in 19 deg weather. It warmed slightly to 25 deg by the time I finished, a mere 3 hr, 10 min later. Unfortunately, I miscalculated my distance and ended up 2.5 mi from home. So I walked. And I walked. And I became even colder. I must have sweat a little bit while running and walking only made me colder. By then, I was too stiff to begin running (shuffling?) again. I even walked by my friend Anne's parents' house, hoping that they were home and I could use their phone to have W come pick me up.
Strangely, I had pocketed some energy jelly beans and 4-$1 bills, but no cell phone. Next time, I am bringing it.
The good news is that I am not sore today. The better news is that I am more prepared for this marathon than I have ever been in the past. I do not think I had run further than 17 mi before my other marathons. I am going to run 13 mi this weekend as a long run, then 22-23 the weekend after, then begin to taper.
I started to realize that the long runs are really more for your mind than for your body. My body can do just about anything, a fact proven to me after having two children. But my mind can be the enemy. It registers the cold, the fact that I only had 6 miles under my belt, that I was closer to home and how warm it would be there, that I could finish up my run on the treadmill where it was 67 deg instead of 19 deg. My mind is also the victor. It somehow finds something else to occupy itself while my legs stretch out and make the pavement blur before my eyes.
Yep. That's right. I did my 20 mile long run yesterday in 19 deg weather. It warmed slightly to 25 deg by the time I finished, a mere 3 hr, 10 min later. Unfortunately, I miscalculated my distance and ended up 2.5 mi from home. So I walked. And I walked. And I became even colder. I must have sweat a little bit while running and walking only made me colder. By then, I was too stiff to begin running (shuffling?) again. I even walked by my friend Anne's parents' house, hoping that they were home and I could use their phone to have W come pick me up.
Strangely, I had pocketed some energy jelly beans and 4-$1 bills, but no cell phone. Next time, I am bringing it.
The good news is that I am not sore today. The better news is that I am more prepared for this marathon than I have ever been in the past. I do not think I had run further than 17 mi before my other marathons. I am going to run 13 mi this weekend as a long run, then 22-23 the weekend after, then begin to taper.
I started to realize that the long runs are really more for your mind than for your body. My body can do just about anything, a fact proven to me after having two children. But my mind can be the enemy. It registers the cold, the fact that I only had 6 miles under my belt, that I was closer to home and how warm it would be there, that I could finish up my run on the treadmill where it was 67 deg instead of 19 deg. My mind is also the victor. It somehow finds something else to occupy itself while my legs stretch out and make the pavement blur before my eyes.
7 Comments:
That is awesome, T! Congratulations to your mind for tackling that distance. That is so true, and it is so good for the mind to do those things.
You F'ing ROCK!
I am so proud of you! And you're right about the mind being the enemy.
You. Are. Nuts.
the only outdoor running i'll be doing until may is running from the house to the car.
You never cease to amaze me. 19 would definitely keep me inside, probably in bed. Congrats to your mind and body for getting it done!
You're incredible (nuts, but incredible)! Way to go on pursuing your goal.
What a great accomplishment! And you are so right about the mental part of running. After years of running, I still have to convince my brain that I can do it almost every outing. However, after a long run, the sense of accomplishment is supreme!
You rock, T! It is the mind being the enemy, but you can do it.
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