Sunday's Long Run

With the Chicago Half Marathon looming on the calendar, I am really focussing on the run. I would like to get out and ride some longer rides to get back into bike shape, but for now with the way things have gone, the only non-negotiables will be the runs.

Sunday morning my beautiful triathlete wife and I got up to go run around White Rock Lake. I am not sure why, but that run is really special. We arrived a little behind schedule and I knew it would be hot, but I was fired up to be out and running long again. The run began just before 7:00 AM with a quick stretch, I was off. I really felt great. Usually, the first half mile or so is a rough one but today, I felt awesome. As I mentioned in my updates, my training has not been great and I had not had a long run in a while, so 9 miles was looking like the plan. I had ridden the lake a million times and knew the course well. The thought of running it made it seem like much longer. The first half was great. My form was good and I felt strong. At about half way, my iPod died and I hit a section that is uphill for a couple of miles. At that point, my core was losing strength and my form was going out the window. I was also sweating like a mule. The air was very humid and there was nowhere for my sweat to go so it soaked my shorts and legs and ran into my eyes. With about two and a half miles to go I began the internal debate of walking or not or stopping for bit or not. I remembered the time when this distance would have been no problem and was pissed at myself for letting my training go. It was really hard. But I searched my motivation tank and remembered Dean Karnazes talking about one step at a time so I plodded on. Along the way back on the back side of the lake, you can see the parking lot but there are several false horizons and each time I thought I was there, another cove would open up and a long stretch of road filled with cyclists, runners and walkers would appear. I questioned my knowledge of the course over and over. I just fixed my eyes ahead and kept running. At one point I found myself passing several other runners who were drenched in sweat and shuffling. One of them was wearing an Ironman Dryfit shirt so I wanted to make sure I looked good when I passed. This ended up giving me a little lift and a second wind. Before I knew it, I was back at the car. 1 hour 20 minutes and 33 seconds. I felt really good about the run and know this will be a shot in the arm for my training. For the rest of the day, I would be in the best mood and feeling like I am back... just a little back!