Today, I broke the 20 mile mark.
And it was easy.
I'm not so sure how I feel about that. 20 miles stands as this milestone in runner mythology. It's the long long run before THE long run: the marathon. After 20 miles, it's down the glycogen rabbit hole. No amount of gu can save you. Somewhere, a wall awaits.
Given how I felt after my run last weekend (triumphant and depleted), I expected today to be like that only more so. MORE triumphant. MORE depleted. MORE ravenous at my well earned post run nosh.
Instead, I felt completely normal at the end, both in terms of fitness and accomplishment. So much so that when my crusher friend Genisis decided to almost sprint the last mile and a half, I was able to follow along with little difficulty. Back at the car, I felt like I could have done another 6 no problem.
This is how you want to feel on the last long run, but I think I'm weighing whether or not it was simply a fluke. I don't completely trust it. Why?
Because I completely understand it. This week, I went a little bit slower over easier terrain. I didn't have any hills. I didn't have to run on concrete. I didn't have to run against a cold, gale force wind.
The question I really want to ask is, if I had tried to do what I did last week today, could I have run three more miles? That to me would be a sign of increased fitness, a true test of a hard thing getting easier. This run today just felt like an easier run in general.
I know that it shouldn't matter. 20 miles is 20 miles. Also, this run was still more technically difficult in terms of hills and terrain than the completely flat, completely smooth dirt track of my marathon. If I can do this, that shouldn't be an issue.
Which, I have to admit, is a little bit of an issue.
Come marathon day, I know I'm going to cross that finish line and feel amazing and proud of myself. But I'm already looking past that. If the marathon goes well, I'm going to establish a time goal for another one over the summer. I want to take a vacation/training trip to Peru to run at an elevation. I want to run a 40 miler in the fall.
Today was lovely in many respects, though. I ran for the first time with my friends who got me running crazy in the first place, something I haven't done since my fall at Uwharrie. I had a lovely and YUMMY brunch with some awesome people where I had bagels and lox for the first time in God knows when. I had my first ice bath (you'll read about that tomorrow).
And I did run 20.5 miles.
Bitch.
And now, I'm entering the world of the taper.... The ellipses refers to exciting new adventures in taper land still to come. Stay tuned!
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