6.5 Miles for Breakfast

This morning I set out on my longest run since I've started running about three months ago. I'm not gloating and am certainly not trying to impress anyone, but I certainly do feel like I accomplished something this morning and wanted to share this experience with my more expert running mates.

As a preface to my 6.5 mile run let me take a moment to describe my Saturday. It was an outdoor BBQ that was comprised of multiple kegs and lots of horrible (delicious) food. I ate, drank, and swam my way through Saturday until about 10 P.M. Needless to say, not a good way to prepare for the longest run I was going to attempt 10 hours later.

When I woke up this morning I was certainly dehydrated and not feeling on top of my game. I forced myself through some stretches and a small warmup, had an apple, some water and started my jog. I always tend to start out too fast so I definitely kept reminding myself to pace slow because I wanted to finish without stopping. It was overcast but extremely humid so I know this was going to be tough.

I trudged through the first three miles of my jog. My legs were tired and tight and my energy was low. There were numerous times during the first three miles that I told myself I may not make it without having to stop. Then something great happened. My second wind kicked in and suddenly my legs were loose, I had some energy in my strides and was feeling positive about my chances of finishing this run. It was crazy. My body just took over despite my negativity. It was almost as if my head had detached itself from my body and was floating above this robot that was programmed to run 6.5 miles. I felt great and was even able to push myself at the end of the run. When I was done I was soaked with sweat like I had jumped into a swimming pool. I felt like I had accomplished something great even though it was only a 6.5 mile jog. My goal was 8 minute miles and I finished with 7:43 miles.

As I was thinking about what I had done I realized the joy of running. The party I had been to on Saturday is a yearly event that my wife and I attend. Last year's party was a blast and because of that, certain expectations are assumed for the following year's party. It's weird how this year's party didn't measure up to last year's. That seems to happen sometimes. Whether it's because certain people didn't show up or the weather wasn't right or maybe I just didn't get drunk enough. In any event, I noticed that finishing a run that you set out to do always leaves you feeling the same way. It's a yearly party that continues to meet or beat expectations. That is definitely why I run.